European bison
Tierpark and Zoo Berlin contribute to the conservation breeding and reintroduction of the European bison in Eastern Europe.
Project facts
- Project partner
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
- Species
European bison (Bison bonasus)
- Bedrohungsstatus laut IUCN
Near Threatened (NT)
- Project location
Shahdag National Park, Azerbaijan
- Greatest threat
Previously hunting by humans; now primarily habitat loss
- Response
Implementing breeding programmes in captivity, reintroducing individuals into the wild and creating a robust population in Europe
Threat Categories of IUCN
European bison in Berlin
The European bison is the largest land mammal native to Europe. Zoo Berlin has a special relationship with these majestic bovines, as it has been home to the bison since 1872. The Tierpark has also been making a considerable contribution to the species’ conservation ever since it opened in 1955. More than 200 European bison have already been born at Berlin’s two zoos.
A great loss for Europe
European bison were originally found across large swathes of Europe, moving in herds through deciduous, mixed and coniferous woodland. They could also be seen on open meadows and in forest glades. However, habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as hunting by humans, caused a drastic decline in their numbers. With the shooting of the last wild bison in the Caucasus in 1927, this species was completely wiped out in its natural habitat.
Zoos to the rescue
It was thanks to the presence of a few individuals kept in zoos that the European bison was saved from total extinction. In order to ensure its survival, a group of European zoo directors and scientists founded the Society for the Protection of the European Bison in August 1923 at Zoo Berlin. Through coordinated breeding efforts, the formation of herds, and targeted reintroduction, they were able to bring this species back from the brink.
The call of the wild
In addition to participating in breeding programmes, Berlin’s zoos are also making an active contribution to the reintroduction of these bison in Eastern Europe. In 2018, they participated in a WWF Romania project that returned four bison to their original Romanian habitat. Two of those bison were born at Tierpark Berlin. Since 2019, the focus has been on the reintroduction of European bison in Azerbaijan. There, the animals are being prepared for their upcoming release at a reintroduction centre in Shahdag National Park.
From the Tierpark to the Caucasus
The project is a joint initiative of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Ecology, the WWF, EAZA, and other national partners on the ground. The European bison from participating European zoos are transported to the reintroduction centre in Shahdag National Park following an initial acclimatisation period at Tierpark Berlin. Throughout the journey, the animals are accompanied and cared for by experts from Tierpark Berlin and WWF. Since the partnership began in 2019, a total of 64 European bison have been transported to Azerbaijan. The animals have successfully established themselves in their new habitat and are breeding regularly, as confirmed by camera trap footage. In one year alone, nine calves were recorded. The herd in Shahdag National Park has now grown to more than 90 animals.
Conservation that works
Berlin’s zoos have also been working with the IUCN SSC Bison Specialist Group and the European Bison Friends Society to develop a Europe-wide conservation action plan for the European bison. Thanks to intensive conservation and breeding programs, around 10,000 European bison now exist worldwide, in zoological institutions, nature reserves, and in the wild.
Photos: © WWF / Emil Khalilov
Close-up European Bison: © Jon A Juárez
