Bison released into the Carpathian Mountains in bid to re-establish iconic species in Romania
A group of 23 bison has been released into the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the biggest batch yet in an ambitious scheme to re-establish the species in the wild.
The European bison, a hulking beast which stands six feet tall and can weigh up to 2,000lb, disappeared from Romania two centuries ago.
Conservation groups are determined to re-establish a viable population in the Carpathians and hope to build the population up to at least 100.
The bison reintroduction scheme began in 2014, since when several small groups have been gradually released. This latest release was by far the largest.
For two months they are first kept in large enclosures, to acclimatise to local conditions, before being allowed to roam free in the forest.
Five of the animals have been fitted with GPS collars, enabling rangers to keep track of them and monitor their progress.
“This latest milestone release…takes us nearer to our target of 100 free-roaming European bison in the southern Carpathians,” said Frans Schepers, managing director of Rewilding Europe.
Twelve of the bison came from nature reserves in Germany, with their transport to Romania coordinated by Thomas Hennig, director of the Springe Bison Reserve near Hanover.
“I’ve been working with bison nearly all my life,” said Mr Hennig. “My passion for these amazing animals started when I was nine and one of them looked me in the eye for the first time. It has been an immense satisfaction for me to follow our bison on their way to freedom in Romania.”
The bison, Europe’s biggest mammal, play an important ecological role by keeping meadows and grasslands free of scrub and forest, diversifying habitats for plants and animals.
It is hoped that the presence of such an iconic species will encourage nature tourism and create jobs for local people.
The idea is that visitors will pay to see big animals such as bison, bears, wolves and lynx in their natural habitat.
European bison, also known as wisent, were hunted to extinction in Europe by the start of the 20th century.
A few survived in captivity and were eventually reintroduced into the Bialowieza Forest in Poland, which is now home to around 800 bison, the largest herd in the world.
Source : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/22/bison-released-carpathian-mountains-bid-re-establish
