You might not have known that there are two species of bison, the American bison, the symbol of the Old West, and the European bison, which was nearly wiped out by hunting and habitat encroachment. Efforts to bring back wild European bison began in the 1950s around the Poland-Belarus border. The forests of Romania, where bison hadn't been seen in 200 years, are the latest new home of reintroduced bison. The first bison were released in Romania in 2014, brought from zoos and breeding facilities.
These bison, born in captivity with names like Kiwi and Mildred, have settled into the wilderness of the Carpathian mountains and produced 38 calves. The herd now stands at 105, covering only 8,000 hectares of the 59,000-hectare protected area. Like other reintroduction programs, the bison are expected to have a positive impact on the environment, by spreading seeds, eating invasive plants, and keeping wolves and bears fed and away from human settlements. Scientists have discovered other surprising benefits of wild bison, which you can read about at Phys Org. -via Fark
(Image credit: Michael Gäbler)
#bison #Europeanbison #Romania #rewilding
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