European bison
(Bison bonasus) that once fed Cro-magnon and Neanderthal alike are being reintroduced to the wild of Europe in the 21st century. Wild bison were exterminated by 1927; the last lowland subspecies bison was shot in Poland's
Bialowieza Forest. All living bison are descended from the last 54 individuals who lived in captivity. Captive breeding programs in zoos and reintroductions have caused a gradual increase in wild populations. There are about 3200 now living in the wild. Reintroductions have already established herds in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Slovakia.
In May this year reintroduction of bison began in Romania. Six females from Kent, England and Cork, Ireland were transported to Romania's Carpathian Mountains. Altogether seventeen bison from five countries were transplanted to Romania. The project was managed by Aspinall Foundation which has successfully reintroduced species in Africa.
Bisons join the red lynx of Spain as a European
rewilding success story. For a poor country such as Romania preservation of the wild is not a
trivial undertaking, a large part of the communal land of the Municipality of Armenis was set aside for wildlife. So local people take tremendous pride in their nascent bison herd. The Tarcu Mountains herd now has a new member. A male calf was born in June
[center of photo]. The intermediate goal is bring bison to the Tarcu Mountains preserve over a ten year period to reach 500 animals by 2024. Eventually, if the plan is fully realized, there will be a completely wild herd roaming the mountainsides once again after a two and a half century absence from Romania.
GREEN KUDOS go to Armenis, Romania.
