EUROPEAN BISON, POLAND, LIVE WEBCAM

More info: The Białowieża Forest is a World Heritage site, on the border between Poland and Belarus and situated on the watershed of the Baltic Sea and Black Sea . It is the last original lowland forest in Europe, and retains much of its primeval landscape and plant and animal life. The Białowieża Forest, in parts swampy, is covered with mixed forests untouched by man, with oak, hornbeam, spruce and pine being the predominant species. It covers an immense area of 141,885 hectares.

The Białowieża Forest protects diverse and rich wildlife with 59 mammal species, over 250 bird, 13 amphibian, 7 reptile and over 12,000 invertebrate species. The iconic symbol of Białowieża Forest is the European Bison with approximately 900 individuals which make almost 25% of the total world’s population.

In the 18th century, the European Bison was almost completely eliminated due to hunting by the rulers of the time and by poaching. In 1919, the last European Bison was killed. In 1925, the last Caucasian Wisent – slightly smaller than the European Bison from the Polish lowlands - was also killed. Białowieża brought specimens from zoological gardens and started to breed the bison. Only following the war and several years later were the first bison released into the park, in 1952.

The European bison is a close cousin of the American bison. An adult bull weighs up to 900 kilograms and its height at withers can reach 180 cm. A charging bison can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h, and both the male and female bison boast impressive horns, which they never shed.

Additional Information:
Bringing back the bison - Rewilding Europe - rewildingeurope.com
European Bison - The Animal Files - theanimalfiles.com