European Bison

Once extinct in the wild, the European Bison, or Wisent, is making a recovery throughout its native range.

Full Name: European Bison

Latin Name: Bison bonasus

Classification: Mammal

Adult Weight: Males typically weigh between 400 to 920kg (nearly a tonne!), while females are slightly smaller, 300 to 540kg.

Adult Length: Up to 2.9 metres from head to tail, and up to 2 metres tall (about 6'5)!

Lifespan: Usually between 18 and 24 years in the wild, though females live longer than males.

Preferred Habitat: Forests with meadows and glades, which, as keystone species, they help to create and maintain through their natural behaviour.

Status: Once extinct in the wild, the Bison was reintroduced from the small group of captive individuals.

The European bison: a symbol of strength and resilience. © Marcel Langthim

European Bison

The European bison, once extinct in the wild, has made a remarkable comeback through dedicated conservation efforts. With its large size, distinctive hump, and role as a keystone species, the bison is vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems. It thrives in diverse habitats, creating spaces for other wildlife through its natural behaviours. Projects like the Wilder Blean in the UK showcase the bison's ability to restore ancient woodlands and increase biodiversity. From their cultural significance to their role in modern rewilding, the European bison is a symbol of resilience and ecological restoration.

Why are Bison Important to Rewilding?

As large herbivores, European bison play a crucial role in maintaining open landscapes and promoting biodiversity. Their selective grazing and browsing help manage plant growth, and they disperse seeds through their digestion, helping to maintain a mosaic of different habitats.

They create wallows by rolling on the ground, creating shallow depressions which become temporary ponds: habitats for amphibians as well as allowing a variety of vegetation to flourish.

Grazing peacefully, the European bison maintains ecosystem balance. © Artur Pawlak

Past Bison Rewilding Efforts

The recovery and rewilding of the European bison is one of the most successful conservation stories of the last hundred years. After its extinction in the wild, the Society for the Protection of the European Bison was established in 1923 and initiated a breeding program from the remaining twelve individuals.

The first successful reintroduction to the wild took place in the Białowieża Forest between Poland and Belarus, which had been one of their last refuges. Following that success, other small herds were established across Europe from the 1960s to present, resulting in the growing population of around 7000 living in the wild.

The largest land mammal in Europe, roaming free once more. © Szcezepan Klejbuk

Current & Future Bison Rewilding Projects

The bison, along with other large herbivores, remain a hugely important rewilding subject due to their status as keystone species and ecosystem engineers, having hugely positive effects on the environment around them.

Expansions to their current ranges in Eastern Europe are underway, aiming to reconnect fragmented populations. A major focus is the creation of transboundary wildlife corridors that connect these populations, which is essential for their long-term viability and survival.

We even have our own small population in the UK, at the Wilder Blean project in Kent. The bison were introduced in 2022 and live alongside Exmoor ponies, Iron-Age pigs and Longhorn cattle. This variety of species contribute to creating a mosaic of different habitats within the woodland.

The bison calf sticks close to its guardian. © Martin Prochazkacz

Powerful and enduring, the bison is Europe’s gentle giant. © Artur Pawlak

Physical Description

The bison is a powerful beast! They have a thick, muscular neck and a prominent hump over its shoulders. The coat is dense and shaggy, especially around the head and neck, providing insulation during colder months. Its colour ranges from dark brown to golden brown. The bison has a broad forehead, short, curved horns, and a slightly concave face. Its strong, sturdy legs support its large frame, making it a truly impressive and awe-inspiring presence in the wild.

Strength in numbers: the European bison thrives in herds. © Andrzej Kułak

Bison Behaviour

Bison are social animals, forming small herds led by older females known as matriarchs. These groups typically consist of females and their young. Bulls tend to either orbit and protect the herd, live on their own, or in small bachelor groups of two or three.

They often roll in dust or mud, which is known as wallowing; this has a number of benefits such as deterring parasites and cooling down. This also creates shallow depressions in the soil, which can then fill with water and create temporary microhabitats which amphibians and other species take advantage of; the disturbed soil also allows different types of plant to take root, aiding biodiversity.

What Threats do Bison Face?

Like all large herbivores, the bison faced severe overhunting by humans, driven by demand for their meat and hides, which along with habitat loss led to their extinction in the wild in the early 20th century.

The species was recovered from a small number of captive individuals, which means the population's limited genepool leaves them vulnerable to disease and genetic disorders. While conservation efforts have helped reintroduce them into various regions around Europe, their habitats are often fragmented by human developments and infrastructure.

The European bison is an essential part of forest ecosystems. © Anna Vasileva

A robust grazer, the European bison impacts the environment around it. © Neil McIntosh

What do Bison Eat?

European bison feed primarily on grasses, as well as other vegetation including leaves, bark, twigs and shrubs. In winter, they rely more on woody plants and bark for sustenance.

Equipped with large jaws and strong teeth, European bison are well-adapted to this tough diet. Their massive heads, supported by the powerful muscles of their prominent humps, and their multi-chambered stomachs, like those of cattle, enable them to efficiently ferment and break down plant matter.

A majestic symbol of Europe’s natural heritage. © Kathy Büscher

Cultural Significance

As one of the largest land mammals in Europe, the bison has been a powerful symbol in many cultures, reflecting strength, endurance, and the wilderness. A prominent figure in prehistoric art, most notably in the cave paintings found in Lascaux, France, and Altamira, Spain. These ancient depictions highlight the bison's importance as a source of food and material for early humans.

In Poland and Belarus, the bison is an important national symbol. The Białowieża Forest, where the last wild bison were preserved and later reintroduced, is celebrated as a cultural and natural treasure, reflecting the deep connection between the species and regional identity.

Distribution of the Bison

Historically, the bison, or wisent, had a wide range across Europe and Asia through forests, steppes and open woodlands.

Today, their distribution is much more restricted. The largest free-ranging herds are located in Poland and Belarus, with other isolated populations in Germany, Russia and Romania. We have a small population in Kent as part of the rewilding initiative at Blean.

Grazing peacefully, the European bison maintains ecosystem balance. © Dominik Rheinheimer

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