Today, scaled-up rewilding efforts in the Southern Carpathian mountains of Romania are enriching biodiversity and delivering tangible benefits for local communities. By showcasing these efforts and amplifying engagement, the newly launched Rewilding Romania website will support this upward trajectory.

Home to some of Europe’s most spectacular nature, the Southern Carpathians of Romania have huge rewilding potential. In 2023, the Rewilding Romania team took steps to expand their efforts and impact across the landscape and beyond.

This July, educational camps were organised in the Danube Delta and Southern Carpathians rewilding landscapes in Romania. A wide range of engaging activities, complemented by memorable wildlife encounters, immersed the children in nature and gave them an appreciation for rewilding and its benefits.

A decade on from the first release of European bison in the Southern Carpathians, two new groups have just arrived in the landscape. The animals will support further population growth and enhance genetic diversity, amplifying the positive climate, biodiversity and community impact of this iconic keystone species.

The return of the bison in Europe can enhance carbon sequestration, boost biodiversity, and drive the growth of nature-based tourism. To maximise the beneficial impact of this iconic herbivore, populations need to roam freely across large, well-connected landscapes.

The Rewilding Romania team have signed partnership agreements with Retezat and Domogled-Valea Cernei National Parks. This will support scaled-up rewilding efforts across more than 105,000 hectares of additional land.

Thanks to the ongoing work of Rewilding Romania and WWF Romania, the free-roaming European bison population in the Southern Carpathians rewilding landscape is thriving. New, multi-partner efforts will take bison recovery to the next level and ensure local communities continue to benefit.

Thanks to a longstanding reintroduction programme, the European bison population in the Southern Carpathians rewilding landscape in Romania is now growing rapidly. As it expands, rewilding efforts are shifting their focus towards coexistence and ecological impact.

Based in the Southern Carpathians rewilding landscape, the WeWilder Campus will connect visitors and companies with Romanian nature and culture, benefitting the local community and inspiring new ways of doing business.

A new grant from the Cartier for Nature foundation will support rewilding in both the Southern Carpathians and Iberian Highlands, with a primary focus on the reintroduction of free-roaming herbivores.