“Insights from the pedigree on the social structure of free-roaming Konik horses (Equus caballus) in a Dutch reserve” by prof. Amos Bouskila, dept. of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

As rewilding is gaining popularity across Europe, it is important that scientific research follows, to answer at least some of the many questions that arise: how and to what extend can we reintroduce natural processes in larger ecosystems, what animals to reintroduce and where, how will they fit in the existing ecosystems, how do we know what the former wild Europe really looked like, how does rewilding relate to other types of conservation management, just to mention a few.

Rewilding Europe welcomes the publication of one of the first scientific papers on rewilding and land abandonment in Europe, written by Laetitia M. Navarro and Henrique M. Pereira. The article suggests a fourth option of land management policy in addition to agricultural intensification, extensification and afforestation – rewilding.

A herd of 24 Retuerta horses, coming from the Doñana biological station in southern Spain, were released in the Campanarios de Azaba reserve on July 27. The release was possible thanks to the Rewilding Europe initiative and the collaboration between the Nature and Man Foundation and the Doñana Biological Station.

Bornholm island in Denmark welcomed seven bison from Poland in the beginning of June. One male and six females where brought to the island by ferry. The animals will live in a 200 ha fence for five years, then a decision is made whether to let them roam freely.

Rewilding Europe was featured in a leading Swedish popular science magazine “Forskning och Framsteg”.

The acclaimed outdoor exhibition “Wild Wonders of Europe” showcases Europe’s natural heritage in a breathtaking display of life-size images by 69 of the continent’s top photographers.

To meet the challenges and opportunities, we have extended our central team with a number of key positions, most of them to assist at the operational level and to support the rewilding projects.

Rewilding Europe has signed a production agreement to develop a major film and a TV-series, with EMS Films (Netherlands) and Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion (Germany). The aim is to showcase and document the rewilding of our continent, which is happening in front of our eyes, and the role that Rewilding Europe plays in creating more wild areas, wilderness and promoting Europe as a wildlife destination.

One of the programme goals of Rewilding Europe is “by 2020, rewild 1 million ha (10,000 km²) across 10 places in Europe covering different regions and biomes, including areas of both land and sea”. The rewilding concept was introduced at the “EC Presidency Conference on Wilderness and Large Natural Habitat Areas” in May 2009, and the participants were invited to submit nominations for potential model areas.