England: First Wild European Bison Born in Thousands of Years
In England, the first wild European bison in thousands of years has been born. The calf is a milestone for the reintroduction of the species.
When three European bison were released in Kent in July as part of a groundbreaking reintroduction project, one of the bison was pregnant without the rangers knowing.
European bison are known for concealing their pregnancy to prevent predators from targeting the animals and their young. The female calf was discovered after a few days when rangers could not find the mother, who had found a secluded spot for the birth. Bison ranger Tom Gibbs said: «She has developed magnificently in the truest sense of the word«.
The calf was probably born on 9 September, but the announcement was delayed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II the day before. «We also wanted to make sure the calf is healthy», said Gibbs.
Similar projects across Europe have demonstrated that European bison, known as «ecosystem engineers», can restore the natural biodiversity of a landscape. The bison's natural behaviours — grazing, dust bathing, bark stripping and felling trees — allow other species to thrive. Compared to their American cousins, however, European bison appear slimmer and longer-legged. European bison can grow up to three metres in length and have a shoulder height of up to 1.95 metres. Since the extinction of the aurochs, the European bison is Europe's heaviest and largest land mammal and also the last representative of the wild cattle species of the European continent.
