Saving the European Bison
The European bison (Bison
bonasus), also known as the wisent, is the largest herbivore in Europe.
Historically, the Bison bonasus was
distributed widely throughout Europe. At the end of the 19th
century, the wild European bison (Bison
bonasus) herds were reduced to two populations; Bialowieza Forest (B. b. bonasus) in Poland and in the
western Caucasus Mountains (B. b. caucasicus)[LHN, 2012]. According to Pucek (2004),
the initial decline of the wild bison was due to an over-population of deer
species and drastic reductions of natural food sources. The onset of World War
I and poaching were the final causes for extinction of the European Bison (Bison bonasus) in the wild. At the time
of extinction of wild bison, the captive population consisted of 54 individuals
(29 males and 24 females; with 12 founder animals)[LHN, 2012]. In 1923, Polish
zoologist, J. Sztoleman introduced the idea of restoring wild populations of
the European bison (Bison bonasus)
from captive stocks housed in zoos. Later that year the International Society
for Protection of European Bison (Bison
bonasus) was founded in Germany (Pucek, 2004).
Bison
restoration can be grouped into two main categories. The first is intensive
captive breeding, followed by the creation of free-range herds. By the year
2000 there were 1700 free range animals and a total of 2900 individuals (Pucek,
2004). The European bison is currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red
list of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2012).
Summary of reintroduction programs
The first reintroduction program of the
European Bison (Bison bonasus) [from
captive populations] began in 1952 (Pucek, 2004) in the Bialowieza Primeval forest
(BPF) in Poland. Efforts resulted in the establishment of a single breeding
population. Following this initial success, additional herds were established
in other areas of Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia & Kyrgyzstan;
resulting in a total of 30 free ranging herds (Pucek, 2004).
Protection of genetic purity was aided by the European Bison
Pedigree Book (EBPB) that had been created in 1932. All crossbred animals were
eliminated from the breeding cycles of the pure genetic lines of bison. The
EBPB is still in use today and every individual born worldwide is entered in
the book. The reintroduction program began with intensive captive breeding
programs in zoos and reserves from a founder stock of 12 individuals.
Contemporary herds are now separated into two distinct genetic lines (Olech
& Perzanowski, 2002). The second phase of the reintroduction began producing
free ranging herds in natural habitat areas. The total global number of
European bison (Bison bonasus) is
approximately 2,900 (1,700 free or semi-free)[Pucek, 2004].
Since inception of the bison reintroduction program in 1952,
staff at the BPF has been monitoring the free range bison populations (i.e.
size, sex and age structure; recruitment; mortality)[Mysterud, et al. 2007]. Population dynamics
analyzed by Mysterud, et al. on the
BPF bison population [from data collected between 1952-2000] report that
recruitment for the entire time frame yielded 741 males and 770 females
resulting in nearly a 50:50 ratio. Analysis of the herd did not find any impact
on recruitment pertaining to climate variations; however mortality rates were
found to be higher in cold winters, as well as lowered reproduction rates
(Mysterud, et al., 2007).
Habitat preservation is essential to the success of
reintroduction of the European bison. The BPF is one of the best protected deciduous lowland forests in Europe
(Mysterud, et al. 2007). Currently
the bison are dispersed globally in 30 countries. Studies conducted by
Kuemmerle, et al. (2011) indicate there
is suitable widespread habitat that is currently unoccupied in Central and
Eastern Europe. Viable population increases are not limited by habitat accessibility.
References
Bishnev, Igor, 2012. Photograph. Photo Gallery of Berezinsky
Preserve. Online. Available at:
Kuemmerle, T., Radeloff, V., Perzanowski, K., Kozlo, P.,
Sipko, T., Khoyetskyy, P., Bashta, A., Chikurova, E., Parnikoza, I., Baskin,
L., Angelstam, P., and Waller, D., 2011. Predicting
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Olech, W. & Perzanowdki, K., 2002. A Genetic Background for reintroduction program of the European bison
(Bison bonasus) in Carpathians. Biological Conservation, 108. Pp.221-228.
Online. Available through Elsevier.
Tokarska, M., Kowalczyk, R., & Perzanowski, K., 2011. Genetic status of the European bison Bison bonasus after extinction in the wild and subsequent
recovery. Mammal Review. V. 41, 2.
Pp. 151–162. Online. Available through: Wiley Online.
Wolk, E. and Krasinska, M., 2004. Has the condition of the European Bison deteriorated over the last
twenty years? Acta Theriologica. 49 (3). Pp. 405-418. Online. Available
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image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wisent_mit_Star_auf_Vorderlauf.JPG
