European bison reintroduction

kiang

kiang

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
FIRST GROUP OF EUROPEAN BISON RELEASED IN SPAIN
True Nature Foundation has struck a mayor deal with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria's (EAZA) European Bison breeding programme.
The European Bison is better known as the Wisent.
Today the first 7 Wisent from Fota Wildlife Park, Ireland, arrived in Valdeserrillas Nature Reserve in Spain, which is in the process of getting a UNESCO status.
Later this week, another 5 European Bison from Howletts and Lympne Wildlife Parks, United Kingdom, will join the first group, bringing the total to 12 Bison.
Valdeserrillas is a promising nature restoration, or rewilding, project. We will bring in wild horses in the near future. Waterbuffalo and other species are already present.
Transport of the animals has been made possible by the Aspinall Foundation.
Next year more Wisent will be brought to Valdeserrillas and other areas in Spain and Europe.
This is one of the biggest Wisent reintroductions ever in Europe.
We hope it will mark the start of a fruitful cooperation between aforementioned organizations, all working towards the common goal of reinstating the European Bison to its former wild glory.
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https://www.facebook.com/truenaturefoundation/
 
After some time, there will me more food available for native vultures in Spain. - I taught on natural deaths of these animals (old, injured, stilbirths).
 
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KEEPER said:
This area has not a vulture population (yet) ;)
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Thank you. I would love to provide domestic animal parts, to local vultures populaton here, as I believe that lack of food is major factor for vulture population decline. So If I ever open a zoo, I will keep goats, and I will send them to slaughterhouse, and their parts will be fed to local vultures (if I get permit for doing such thing).
 
Anyway the first European bison "reintroduction" in Spain began in Palencia -in North Spain- .After continues in Burgos near to Atapuerca Palaeolithic site, and just now, 10 days ago the new animals arrived to the location in Valencia province.
 
Bisons: poison and beheaded

Do you know the new? Somebody has tried to poison the Valdeserrillas' bisons and even have beheaded the alpha male :eek::mad:

There some bisons missing too and the police has opened a research..

Here some links to the new in Spanish:

Hallan decapitado al macho alfa de los bisontes de la Reserva de Valdeserrillas | Comunidad Valenciana Home | EL MUNDO

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/sociedad/2016/09/19/envenenan-manada-bisontes-vivian-reserva-valencia/00031474294228042637499.htm
 
English article:
Alpha male of Spanish bison herd beheaded in suspected poison attack
The alpha male of the bison herd at the European Bison Reserve Valdeserrillas (Valencia) was found beheaded on 16 September. Meanwhile, three others have gone missing and the rest of the herd are believed to be suffering from diarrhoea, prompting investigations into the incident.

The Seprona (Nature Protection Service) of the Spanish Civil Guard is looking into the possibility of whether the herd was poisoned through their water or food. Employees at the Valdeserrillas Reserve found the alpha male's decapitated body but were unable to locate the head.

According to local publication El Paid, Director Carlos Alamo is said to have noticed strange behaviour among the animals last week. When three bisons were noticed to be missing, a search party was sent out across the 365-hectare reserve, which resulted in the discovery of the body of the 800kg alpha bison.

Communications chief of the reserve, Rodolfo Navarro, said that the alpha male was "the largest, healthiest and most beautiful" animal in the herd. Investigators did not find bullet wounds in the body and believe that the alpha male would have ingested the largest amounts of food and, therefore, felt the first effects of the alleged poisoning.

Although the reserve is fenced off to prevent the animals from escaping, Navarro said that it would be relatively easy for strangers to break in due to the large size of it. The Valdeserrillas Reserve was first created in 1972 for the study and preservation of endangered species in the Valencia province.

The 12 specimens of Bison bonasus are considered an endangered species and arrived in Spain between June 2015 and May 2016, following two years of paperwork with the European Union (EU). Those found guilty of killing to animal could face a fine of €600,000.
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Two (from 3) "missing" bison were founded alive, but seems they were drugged.
The Alpha male were found beheaded.
 
This latest development is disgusting.

Going back to the original quoted article, they already have water buffalo? How are these native to Spain? Are they not from Asia (and most likely domestic animals)? Also where will they get "wild horses" since those are extinct? (Except of course for Mongolian wild horse but surely those would not be placed in Spain).
 
Arizona Docent said:
Going back to the original quoted article, they already have water buffalo? How are these native to Spain? Are they not from Asia (and most likely domestic animals)? Also where will they get "wild horses" since those are extinct? (Except of course for Mongolian wild horse but surely those would not be placed in Spain).
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the water buffalo are a "re-wilding" replacement for the European water buffalo Bubalus murrensis which is now extinct. They probably had similar habits to the extant water buffalo, and it is thought that the presence of the domestic species will be of benefit to the wetlands. They have been introduced to several reserves I think.

Przewalski's horses have already been introduced to some re-wilding sites in Europe, as have the imitation tarpan and feral domestic horses. I'm not sure which Valdeserrillas will be using.
 
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