00:00From fewer than 1,000 to hundreds of thousands, the American bison represents one of America's greatest wildlife comebacks.
00:07National Park Trust says 30 to 60 million once roamed the Great Plains.
00:13Hunting and habitat loss pushed them to near extinction.
00:16Today, roughly half a million live on commercial ranches, while tens of thousands roam freely, largely in big areas of
00:23protected and parkland.
00:25And the return is helping heal the prairie.
00:27The World Wildlife Fund calls bison a keystone species.
00:31Some say their grazing promotes a green wave of plant growth.
00:35As they graze and wallow, they break soil, helping rain reach grassland roots.
00:40They spread seeds and stimulate new vegetation.
00:43That creates a richer habitat and helps the soil capture and store carbon.
00:47But bison occupy less than 1% of their historic range.
00:51Their comeback is remarkable.
00:53Restoring more herds could make it even greater.
