Fourteen European bison were brought to Romania’s Southern Carpathians last week, marking the first transports from the "LIFE with Bison" program co-financed by the European Union, as well as 10 years since the arrival of the first bison in Țarcu Mountains. The transport was supervised by Rewilding Romania and WWF Romania.

The 14 bison were brought to Romania from Germany (namely 10 from the Kiel, Sababurg, Wielbur, and Donaumoos centers) and Sweden (4 from the Avesta center).

The animals are currently housed in a special space where they are monitored by rangers and a veterinarian to ensure a smooth transition to their new environment. After 21 days, they will join the existing population of free-roaming bison in the Ţarcu Mountains.

Marina Drugă, Team Leader Rewilding Romania and Technical Manager of the "LIFE with Bison" Project, commented: “The bison are essential not only for the ecosystem, but also for the socio-economic development of the region. Rewilding Romania aims to restore natural processes, but also to increase the tourism potential and improve the living standards of local communities. We are happy to have already completed a third of our 5-year journey in this program.”

Launched at the end of March, the project aims to increase the bison population in the Țarcu Mountains over the next five years, targeting 250+ animals by 2029.

The project is a collaborative effort involving Rewilding Romania, WWF Romania, Rewilding Europe, WeWilder, the Research and Development Institute for Hunting and Mountain Resources (ICDCRM), and the town halls of Armeniș, Teregova, and Cornereva in Caraș-Severin.

"LIFE with Bison" is part of a larger initiative to ensure the genetic diversity and sustainability of the bison population in Romania. It aims to implement new coexistence measures and develop a National Action Plan for bison conservation. Plus, it also involves other initiatives to reintroduce bison in Romania, managed by the Conservation Carpathia Foundation and Romsilva, as well as various state institutions.

Romania currently has about 300 bison in the wild, scattered in the Țarcu Mountains, the Vânători-Neamț Park and the Făgăraş Mountains. The Țarcu Mountains are home to the largest population.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Rewilding Romania)