The European Bison is No Longer a Vulnerable Species

17 January 2021
by WWF -- last modified 17 January 2021

In the midst of a challenging and tumultuous year we have some wonderful news to share. Due to long-term conservation work, including that by WWF Central and Eastern Europe and WWF-Romania, European bison (Bison bonasus) are no longer considered a vulnerable species in Europe.

The European bison population has increased from about 1,800 in 2003 to over 6,200; meaning that the species has moved up the IUCN red list classification to "almost threatened." Romania is among the few countries with bison roaming in the wild.

There are now more than 100 bison in three different areas in Romania: Vanatori Neam? Natural Park, Fagars Mountains and Tarcu Mountains. The largest population of over 65 bison is in the Tarcu Mountains where the herd was developed as an initiative by Rewilding Europe and WWF Romania. Bison have been transported from reserves and breeding centres in Europe following a complex selection process to ensure genetic diversity. The aim of the LIFE Bison Project is to create a viable population that breeds in the wild and develops both biodiversity and sustainable entrepreneurship ideas based on ecotourism for local communities to thrive.

The Life Bison team carefully monitors the behaviour of bison to ensure their well-being and coexistence with locals living and working near the rewilding area. The bison is an umbrella species that safeguards the quality of life of other species in the food chain and maintains the natural balance on which we all depend. It has become a local symbol that has allowed locals to rediscover the richness of nature around them, wonderful landscapes that fascinate tourists in search of adventure experiences in the wild or tranquility in the villages.

"The bison calves born in the wild and the support of local communities are good signs that bison belong to these ancestral lands, but let's not forget that the species is still threatened by various challenges, from habitat loss to ambiguity in legislative processes. That is why we believe that only by working together can we ensure the progress made in the last 70 years will not decline, but that we will witness a change for the better," says Marina Druga, LIFE Bison Project Manager, WWF-Romania.

Dr Bruno Oberle, Director General of IUCN, said that according to the IUCN Red List update, bison and twenty-five other species have been recovered. This is a powerful demonstration of the power of conservation in action. "Yet the growing list of extinct species is a stark reminder that conservation efforts must urgently expand. To tackle global threats such as unsustainable fisheries, land clearing for agriculture, and invasive species, conservation needs to happen around the world and be incorporated into all sectors of the economy," he stated.

The species was rarer than the black rhino and survived only in captivity in the early 20th century. The reintroduction of the bison into the wild began in the 1950s, and in Romania in 2012. The largest subpopulations are now found in Poland, Belarus and Russia, but only eight of these herds are large enough to be genetically viable in the long run. The species remains dependent on ongoing conservation measures, such as the relocation of bison to optimal habitats to create viable populations and the promotion of human-bison coexistence.

The reintroduction of bison in the Southern Carpathians is carried out within the "Urgent Actions for the Recovery of European Bison populations in Romania Project, " implemented by WWF-Romania and Rewilding Europe, in cooperation with local communities and with financial support from the European Union through the LIFE Programme.

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