Today more than 95 percent of bison are privately owned. In the 1970s, ranchers started buying bison to build up a niche meat market. From a financial standpoint, investing in bison is a thrifty move for ranchers since the grass grazers don’t require costly feed and their meat is low in fat and cholesterol. According to the USDA, the bison market has gradually expanded in the United States, from less than 18,000 commercial bison slaughtered for sale in 2000 to around 50,000 in 2007. Thanks to the growing demand, there are around 500,000 commercial bison living in the North America.