A group of 23 bison has been released into the Carpathian Mountains, the biggest number so far. The move is part of a project to re-establish the species in the wild.
Known in Romanian as ‘zimbru,’ the animal is a mythical presence in Romanian culture. Weighing up to a tonne and standing at up to 3.5 meters tall, the European bison is the heaviest surviving animal in Europe.
The project’s goal is to re-establish a viable population in the Carpathians and hope to establish a population of at least 100.
The 23 bison were brought from zoos and nature reserves in Romania as well as Germany and Italy and were released at two sites by WWF Romania and Rewilding Europe. The reintroduction to nature involves a period of acclimatisation of two months. During that time, the bison are kept in large enclosures, before being allowed to roam free.