WAZA magazine Vol 13/2012
European Bison
19
Wanda Olech1*
The European Bison: A Species Saved from Extirpation Summary The European bison (Bison bonasus), or wisent, is a special mammal of the European continent. Around 90 years ago the species had almost vanished because we lost all natural populations; by 1919 the European bison was considered Extinct in the Wild and only 54 animals remained in captivity. At that time international efforts helped to save this charismatic mammal. Currently, there are more than 4,000 individuals spread in more than 200 herds all over the continent. The current challenges are to still increase population size, but the most important one is to manage the small gene pool of the species trough coordinated breeding in captivity and proper reintroductions. The European bison is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International cooperation is assured and organised trough the European Bison Friends Society.
1 Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland * E-mail for correspondence: wanda_olech@sggw.pl
Introduction The genus Bison is represented by two species, the European bison (Bison bonasus) and the American bison (Bison bison). The histories of both species are dramatic because both of them were saved from extinction at the very last moment. The European bison is Europe’s largest terrestrial mammal, with a reddish-brown coat that blends well with the animals’ surroundings. It is relatively easy to mistake a European bison for the trunk of a fallen tree. Also remarkable is their sexual size dimorphism, with males being markedly larger and heavier than females; a greater proportion between the hind- and forequarters of the body equipped with a hump gives the impressive appearance of males. The head is large and set low, with small ears and curved horns in both sexes. The muzzle of the European bison is black and its upper part is surrounded by white hair. European bison never roar and the term used for the noise they make is “grunt”, which most frequently is used between mother and calf and during the rutting season.
Fig. 1 Group of European bison. © Mieczysław Hlawiczka
The European bison is a ruminating herbivore well adapted to feeding on grass and fibrous fodder, consuming large amounts (up to 60 kg) and with little selectivity. This species uses pastures and needs forest ecosystems with a lot of open spaces for feeding. European bison are social, forming two types of herds: mixed groups of females and their calves led by an old cow, and groups of bulls (Fig. 1). Usually mixed groups do not exceed 20 animals and consequently the density of the species is rather low (Krasińska & Krasiński 2007).
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