Return of the Bison: A Story of Survival, Restoration, and a Wilder World

by Roger L. Di Silvestro

"With fervor and meticulous research--and with implications for the future of megafauna around the world--Roger L. Di Silvestro recounts the complex and difficult ongoing struggle for bison recovery." - Shelf Awareness Return of the Bison is the story of how this symbol of the American West was once almost lost to history and of the continuing journey to bring bison back from the brink. Author and naturalist Roger Di Silvestro explores the complex history of the bison’s decimation and how a rising awareness of their possible extinction formed the roots of many modern wildlife conservation approaches. Weaving in natural history and fascinating historical context featuring personalities such as Teddy Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, and William T. Hornaday, Di Silvestro traces the decades it took to begin to save the bison, often with little hope and plagued by discouraging setbacks. Di Silvestro explores the key role in the story of America’s Indigenous people, whose fate was intertwined with the bison’s and whose conservation work is important not only for the animal’s recovery but also for their own cultural renewal.

Di Silvestro also examines the plight of European bison and the latest challenges facing the species in the Are the bison doomed to be treated like cattle, fenced and contained? Or will they be listed as an endangered species, requiring us to treat them like the wild animals they are?

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, History, Audiobook, Wildlife, Science

256 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2023

Reviews

[Victoria Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bison are awesome. Humans are not.

[Keegan Epping · Rating 3 out of 5]

Return of the Bison was a fairly interesting read that starts off by delving into the US government’s supported slaughter of bison to solve “the Indian problem” during westward expansion. Decades after the destruction of this keystone species, public opinion (aside from the livestock industry) gradually shifted to support conservation herds of bison being reintroduced on the landscape. I was surprised to learn that due to severe bottlenecking of the genetic makeup of plains bison, privatized herds had to be tapped into to provide individuals with relatively diverse genetic makeup.

The most interesting section of this book discusses the National Park Service’s ongoing battle with the livestock industry of surrounding states which forced the park’s hand into continual culling of individuals when either the herd got “too big” or when individuals wandered out of the park boundaries. This culling was a band-aid solution to protect private property and reduce the risk of the spread of brucellosis to livestock despite the actual lack of evidence that bison serve as a prominent vector for the disease. As I understood it, many experts fear that this active culling may be causing unintended selection that in time could lead to unintended consequences for the bison populations. The book finished up by pushing for alternative solutions for these now semi-wild bison herds, specifically the implementation of migration corridors which would allow bison to continue range expansion and migration that they have taken part in since long before European settlement.

[Scott Lupo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful, tragic, triumphant, and optimistic story of an iconic animal and human beings. I had just finished watching PBS and the Ken Burns documentary The Amercian Buffalo a few weeks before picking this book up at the library. Both tell the story brilliantly. To me, this is more a story about human beings and how utterly destructive they can be, even with full knowledge of what they are doing. However, this is also the story about those who fight, no matter the odds or popularity. And let's not forget the First Nations people and how the destruction of the buffalo was also the destruction of their way of life, their traditions, their myths, their souls. While the restoration continues today, this book is a poignant history of how we got here.

[Cody Kuster · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did the dad say to his son when he left for college, “Bison”!

We as a society need to step up and make a difference before we lose wildlife and nature like the bisons for our future generations.

[Katie Keeshen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - read for the FWS book club. The topic is interesting, this book (oftentimes) is not. It’s repetitive, it feels like it’s missing a core argument, it’s just not the most compelling presentation of what really should be a compelling topic

[MacK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bison. Or I was...or I always will be?

My high school mascot was the Bison, the "Mighty Bison" to be precise, and, like most teenagers, I didn't spend much time thinking about the "Bison" part of "Bison Pride". I just gave a lot of energy and enthusiasm to my friends, my classmates, and (occasionally) myself.

But there was one moment, when I was en route to a Speech Meet where we drove past a Bison ranch, and we watched, a little open mouthed a herd of our mascot thundering along the grassy prairie. There was power and strength, but a true beauty in it as well. Since then, I've been captivated by bison, long after I lost touch with many of those friends, classmates, and (even) my old self.

Finding this historical account of conservation in Red Lodge this last summer, I was ready to read up and learn about how the Bison have come back...only to find, that they haven't exactly come back so much as they just...aren't on the cusp of destruction any more.

Di Silvestro focuses part of the work on the animals themselves. Every section that offers insight into the features and traits that make it both environmentally vital and socially valuable is deeply engaging.

Otherwise the work mostly focuses on the people and the laws who either enabled the rapacious hunger for glory, trophies, and imperial domination of indigenous people that led to the bison's decline, or the those who strived to stem the tide. In these sections, it was easy to get lost in the maze of bureaucratic maneuvers and befuddled by the wealth of names. The upshot of these sections shows how close we came to losing the largest mammal on the continent, how far we've come since, and how easy it is to ignore such efforts even when they're in your own home state.

In all, I'm glad I read it, and I'm proud to have been a "bison" even if it was only in name. It gives me hope that I'll be more aligned with those who admire and defend the animal, and that such books will never have to be written about other animals.

[Littia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed history of the efforts to bring bison back from near extinction. This book is NOT focused on the years when buffalo were hunted and all but eradicated- it is purely about recovery efforts.

I liked the thorough history, but I felt like the last four chapters drew it out too long, hence the 3-star rating. I wasn’t nearly as interested in the Mexico/Canada/European Wisent portions, but there were some good nuggets of information on those as well.

I found the portion about Ted Turner particularly fascinating as it’s part of the present day story. The combination of his work with conservation while also running a business gives insight into the way those conservation efforts can fit into a capitalist society.

[Kelly Rincon · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some interesting tidbits in here, but overall not my cup of tea. It felt a little repetitive in some ways, and in other ways it felt completely exhaustive (we tracked down every single bison in the world and traced its history to the present day). I'm glad this knowledge exists, but felt a little too much like reading a family tree. Also, conclusion from the book: the bison will never truly return because humans have taken all their habitat. Womp.

[Laura Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit slow and heavy on the information, but the writing was engaging, and I appreciate that a book about threatened and endangered species could hold a somewhat optimistic note. Call them buffalo, call them bison, they are beautiful animals, and learning how much they do for the land and the animals they share that land with was such a unique and unexpected experience.

[Erin Mahmood · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I wanted to write a detailed report on the many failed laws and regulations surrounding the decimation and restoration of the bison, I would have 10 million facts from this book. It was not the most interesting read, but it certainly was detailed.

[Jordan Dailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars… let me explain.
I learned a lot! I now can tell you so many things about Bison I would never have known before. That being said, the book was very academic and dry material. Good but dry = ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ginger Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I switched to the audiobook partway through, and the narrator was so bad it was actually difficult to finish. I learned a lot of cool information about ecology and gained some perspective, but I feel that the author lacked the nuance that comes from firsthand knowledge and experience.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, I am now a major bison fan 🦬

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot about conservation and livestock, some of the conclusions drawn seemed a bit naive at times but overall it exposed me to a new topic and I enjoyed reading it. Is it bad that this book made me hungry for a bison burger?

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but it was very dry. It went through a VERY detailed history of bison herds and who purchased them on what date, etc.

[Annie van Hilst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Anna Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

one of my better finds from a little free library. had a lot of good information and i found myself learning a lot, but i never felt super engrossed

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Lydia Everhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical non fiction book that gives a great perspective of the Bisons history and purpose in our lives. It’s a slow read but good! I learned a lot our national park systems as well.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too repetitive for 5 stars. A comprehensive look at the many faces and foibles of bison conservation.

[Sharon Kaatmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book changed my perspective on restoring bison to their natural habitat in the wild. And to restoring the prairie ecosystem. Didn’t realize there is so much opposition. So many challenges.