The European bison – Bison bonasus – Bisonte europeo is also known as the wisent is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the American bison. The European bison is the heaviest wild land animal in Europe and individuals in the past may have been even larger than modern animals.

Hunted to almost extinction across Europe in the early twentieth century with just a few remaining individuals in the Białowieża Forest (on the Belarus–Poland border), the European bison recovery is quite an incredible success story. By the end of the 20th century (In 1996), the International Union for Conservation of Nature re-classified the European bison as an endangered species, no longer extinct in the wild. Its status has improved even further since then, changing to vulnerable and later to near threatened.

Conservationists argue that mammals like European bison play a significant role in shaping ecosystems. Much as American bison have played a role in grassland management on Nature Conservancy preserves in North America, European bison are now shaping forests and open areas in Germany, France, Spain and other countries.

There is a fantastic article entitled “The Remarkable Story of How the Bison Returned to Europe” here: https://blog.nature.org/science/2017/08/22/remarkable-story-how-bison-returned-europe/

By the 20^th century, against long odds, two populations still survived. One, in the remote Northern Caucasus Mountains of Russia, contained only a small number of individuals. A more viable population survived in Poland’s Białowieża Forest, a long-time protected reserve. In the mid-16^th century, a Polish king instituted the death penalty for poaching a bison; restrictive laws remained in place with succeeding rulers.

Where to see Bison in Spain?

There are a few places now to see Bison in Spain

BISONBONASUS. Reserve and Interpretation Centre of the European Bison

The reserve of the European bison (Bison bonasus) is located in San Cebrián de Mudá. (San Cebrián de Mudá is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León)

In an area of 20 hectares of oak forest and meadows, the opportunity is offered to observe several specimens of European bison in semi-freedom. The main objectives of the project are the recovery of this historical animal, of which in 1927 not a single specimen remained walking freely in the world.

Visits can be made in various ways: on foot, by bicycle, off-road vehicle, or horse-drawn carriage. In winter, snowshoes are available. All visits are guided, with various offers for all audiences, including school groups of all ages. The duration is 2 hours, with a distance of 2 km between the Interpretation Center and the Reserve. Animal observation can be done from three different points, depending on where the animals are located. Additionally, you can learn about the peculiarities of this species in the interpretation center.

Website: https://bisonbonasus.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reserva.delbisonteeuropeo
Turismo Castilla y Leon: https://www.turismocastillayleon.com/en/art-culture-heritage/museums/bisonbonasus-reserve-interpretation-centre-european-bison (in English)

The True Nature Foundation Bison project

By the beginning of the 20th century, the European bison was on the edge of extinction. All living European bison descend from 12 individuals, who were the only ones remaining in captivity. In Spain, the northern mountains ranges were bison habitat up to 12,000 years ago. The plight of the European bison is a signal to the impact that humankind is having on many thousands of other species across the planet. The project hopes that, by creating new herds, more genetic resiliency and diversity will develop over time.

After 15,000 years, European bison, wild pottoka horses and other megafauna return to long-lost habitat in the Cantabrian Mountains. Goal of the project is ecological restoration to promote climate change resilience, biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the forest landscape under global change. The project develops job and income generation opportunities that support the rural economy – as drivers for sustainable development.

The reintroduced European bison are the main attraction in the area of the Picos de Europa along with other iconic species such as the indigenous wild Pottoka horses, Water buffalo, Cantabrian bear, Iberian wolf, and large herbivores.

See more here: https://truenaturefoundation.org/project/valle-del-bisonte-spain/

European bison re introduction in Andalucia

Finca Encinarejo

A project to reintroduce the European bison to Andalucia was created in the Sierra de Andujar natural park here is a video (in Spanish) about it

Check out the website for more information about the Finca Encinarejo here: https://elencinarejo.com/

Further reading

Read more about bison at wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_bison

Controversy and debate over rewilding bison in Spain

“For ecological, bioclimatic, legal and ethical reasons, the introduction of the European bison in Spain is a case that exceeds the limits of reasonable rewilding. It will not restore any lost habitat or contribute to slowing climate change, as the promoters of these projects suggest.” This is what 40 researchers from different scientific institutions and nine countries conclude in a new article.

• These projects are sold as “rewilding”, but in reality they do not meet this objective.
• It has not been proven that the European bison ever inhabited the Peninsula. If it were introduced, it will be unable to survive without human assistance.
• The Altamira bison are a distinct and extinct prehistoric species. It lived in a habitat that also does not exist today: the “mammoth steppe”.

Reference and further reading:
Carlos Nores et al. Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in Spain. Conservation Science and Practice. Full article here: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/csp2.13221

Join in with the conversation about the European bison over at the Iberia Nature forum: https://iberianatureforum.com/forums/topic/european-bison-reintroduction-in-andalucia/

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clive

I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain.