Western United States. In the second half of the 19th century, the American bison population collapsed due to relentless hunting, and by 1894, the enormous herds in Yellowstone Park had been reduced to just 25 animals. By the end of the 20th century, the American bison population had reached 545,000, of which 500,000 were on private land, 30,000 on public land, and approximately 15,000 in the wild, on unfenced lands.
