American Bison (Bison bison) Fact Sheet: Managed Care

Breeding

• An estimated 1 million bison on private ranches and farms in North America. (Marris 2009)
• Bred for reintroduction program in Alaska (Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center 2018)
• Bison and domestic cattle can interbreed, producing infertile offspring. (Grizmeck 1990) 
• Some 65 Plains Bison have been kept at the San Diego Zoo since the first two arrived in 1925. (Towne 1976)
• 14 bison from the San Diego Zoo were released in 1973 at the Marine Corps base Camp Pendelton in southern California (Towne 1976) and still roam free today.