Are There Bison in New Jersey?

Yes, bison ranged across much of eastern North America thousands of years ago, including what is now New Jersey. Archaeological evidence shows they inhabited the mid-Atlantic region at least 10,000 years ago. However, as European settlement expanded westward in the 1700s and 1800s, bison were systematically hunted and their grassland habitat converted to farmland and forest. By the early 1800s, bison had been eliminated from the eastern United States entirely. The species survived only in the remote western Great Plains and northern Canada, where they persisted in increasingly isolated populations until protected reserves were established in the late 1800s.

Bison require large, open grasslands with native prairie vegetation to survive. New Jersey is almost entirely forested (deciduous and mixed hardwood) or urbanized. The state is the most densely populated in the nation, with heavily fragmented natural areas that cannot support a species needing hundreds or thousands of acres of contiguous grazing land. The climate in New Jersey, humid subtropical to humid continental, supports very different plant communities than the semi-arid western grasslands where wild bison now live. Additionally, any reintroduction of bison would face impossible logistical and legal barriers given the state's development pattern.

Wild and semi-wild bison live in specific regions across western North America. The largest populations are in Canada, particularly in national parks in British Columbia and Alberta. In the United States, wild bison herds are found in Yellowstone National Park (which extends into Montana and Wyoming), and managed herds exist on tribal lands, national forests, and private ranches across Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and the Great Plains. Several thousand bison roam the Great Plains today compared to the tens of millions that existed before the 1800s, but they remain a living symbol of western wilderness and Native American heritage.

There are two species of bison: American bison and European bison (also called wisent). American bison are split into two subspecies: plains bison (the iconic species of the western grasslands) and wood bison (larger, found in northern Canada and Alaska). All wild and managed bison herds in North America today are either American bison. European bison are found only in eastern Europe and Russia, and are even more restricted in range than their American cousins. Both species are vulnerable to disease, climate stress, and habitat loss, and are managed carefully by conservation agencies and tribal governments.

While New Jersey has several accredited zoos and wildlife parks, bison are not commonly featured in most of them. Your best option for seeing bison up close is to visit a major zoo with large animal collections, such as the Bronx Zoo in New York City or facilities in neighboring states. However, if you want to see truly wild bison in their natural habitat, the closest option is a trip to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming or Montana, where bison roam freely across tens of thousands of acres of grassland and geothermal landscape.

New Jersey has several impressive native mammals that share the state with residents. Black bears have made a strong comeback and are now commonly sighted, especially in the northern and northwestern parts of the state. White-tailed deer are abundant throughout the state and are often seen in suburban areas. River otters have recently returned to New Jersey's waterways after being absent for decades. Coyotes are also established and expanding their range across the state. For more information on these and other New Jersey wildlife, visit our full guide to wildlife in the state.

When European colonization began in the early 1600s, tens of millions of bison roamed the grasslands from the Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to Mexico. As settlers expanded westward, bison were hunted for their hides, meat, and fur, and to clear land for livestock grazing and agriculture. By 1890, fewer than 1,000 bison remained alive, nearly all in the western United States and Canada. Conservation efforts beginning in the early 1900s prevented extinction and allowed populations to recover modestly. Today, roughly 30,000 wild and semi-wild bison remain across North America, a remarkable recovery from near-extinction, but still far below pre-settlement numbers.

Yes, multiple organizations work to protect and restore bison populations. Yellowstone National Park manages one of the largest wild herds and conducts research on disease, climate adaptation, and long-term population sustainability. The National Bison Association promotes responsible management and sustainable use of bison herds. Many Indigenous nations, particularly on the Great Plains, have established their own bison herds as part of cultural restoration and food sovereignty efforts. Non-profit organizations also work to protect remaining grasslands and create wildlife corridors that allow bison and other species to move across the landscape. These efforts recognize that bison are essential to the health of grassland ecosystems and are central to Native American cultural heritage.