The Russian invasion of Ukraine has decimated the population of male wisent in the Zalissia National Nature Park; translocating two male bison is the only hope to revive it
The Zalissia National Nature Park (14,800 hectares) is home to a significant population of the European Bison, also known as ‘wisent’. The bison herd in this National Park is threatened with extinction as it is located just north of Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv, which was right in the way of the route used by Russian forces two years ago.
Intense fighting in the area directly affected the general status of the European bison. The bison numbers started reducing slowly and eventually the male bison population in the area hit zero.
Now, a female-only herd has been isolated in the park and finding a male mate has become critical for the survival of their population. In this scenario, the work of wildlife conservation organisations has become interesting as they turn matchmakers for these estranged bison.
European bison, among the largest wild land mammals in the world, are spread across Europe and Russia. Its population has always been in danger. From the 17th to the 19th century, uncontrolled and excessive hunting had pushed the European bison to the edge of extinction in Europe. However, rigorous conservation efforts slowly revived the lost population in natural forest landscapes. And now, once again, organisations are coming together to revive the lost population.
The World Wildlife Fund has turned matchmaker in this wildlife conservation campaign.
Irene Lucius, regional conservation director for WWF Central and Eastern Europe, said the organisation has identified two male bison from the Vinnytsia region in the west of Kyiv, which provides hope for the herd. “The distance between Kyiv and the National Park is about 300 kilometres and unlike humans, long-distance relationships do not work for bison. They cannot take the long, arduous journey,” she said.
To address the issue, the organisation has started a donation campaign called “300 km to love and saving bison”. The park territory is screened and de-mined and conservationists are looking to restore the bison population. Bison have a gestation period of almost nine months and usually breed in September. The experts said the herd recovery will entirely depend on the breeding success of the translocated males. Experts suggest that if it goes successfully, they may hope for several newborn calves in just two-three years. To reach the pre-war population of eight grown-up bison, at least 8-10 years of time is needed.
The European bison species play an ecological role in maintaining a mosaic of forested areas and landscapes. These are crucial for ensuring the survival of biodiversity and building resilience against climate change. Besides, bison help to maintain ecological corridors and enable migration of species such as brown bear, wolf, lynx, among others.
Currently in Ukraine, translocating the two male bison is the only hope to revive the lost population.
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