A herd of eight European bison has just arrived in the Southern Carpathians rewilding area and will soon join the 57 bison that are already roaming free here. A keystone species, the animals are part of a rewilding initiative which is benefitting local communities.
Calves have just been born to bison herds in both the Southern Carpathians and Rhodope Mountains rewilding areas. Following last year’s record-breaking number of bison births in the Southern Carpathians, this shows the animals are adapting well to life in the wild.
Five bison reintroduced into the Southern Carpathians rewilding area in Romania in 2019 were fitted with GPS collars. This technology is helping the local rewilding team to promote coexistence and make more informed decisions.
The short video explains to residents and visitors in the Southern Carpathians rewilding area how to behave when they encounter a European bison. It is one of a range of measures employed by the local rewilding team to promote harmonious human-bison relations.
In the Southern Carpathians rewilding area in Romania, community-focused measures are building positive relations between people and reintroduced bison.
Rewilding Europe and WWF Romania have been reintroducing bison in the Southern Carpathians of Romania since 2014. Shot by French filmmaker Emmanuel Rondeau, “Zimbrul” is an intimate snapshot of people’s feelings about the return of this iconic species.
The transport of female bison to the release site in the Țarcu Mountains and breeding centre in Hunedoara will enhance the genetic viability of the area’s free-roaming herds and help to minimise the need for future long-distance translocations.
The reintroduction of another European bison herd in the Southern Carpathians rewilding area continues efforts to establish a viable, free-roaming population of this keystone species. This will further increase the benefits to both wild nature and local communities.
How can wild nature help to develop a region? At the beginning of May a group of social entrepreneurship professors and students met with community representatives in the Southern Carpathians rewilding area for a brainstorming session. The ideas they generated will help to develop nature-based business and reinforce the connection between people and locally reintroduced bison.
Today rewilding is playing an increasingly important role connecting younger generations with wild nature. Romanian schoolchildren in Rewilding Europe’s Southern Carpathians rewilding areas recently celebrated Earth Hour and International Bird Day, strengthening their bond with local populations of birds and reintroduced bison.