European Bison

[Cody Raney]

Are there any European Bison in captivity in the US?

 

[EliasNys]

Are there any European Bison in captivity in the US?

There are currently only European bison in Europe and four countries in Asia, Kazakhstan, China Indonesia and South Korea. The US don't allow import of bovids from any of those countries, so it's also impossible to import them.

You can always check zootierliste.de/en and check for yourself too.

 

[Don Majeski]

There are currently only European bison in Europe and four countries in Asia, Kazakhstan, China Indonesia and South Korea. The US don't allow import of bovids from any of those countries, so it's also impossible to import them.

You can always check zootierliste.de/en and check for yourself too.

Wisent used be a mainstay of major collections- the Bronx Zoo had a heard of them.
One of the only true, “European” animals exhibited regularly in zoos.
I had seen them at some drivers through - non accredited AZA-zoos , so, I assume , there be some if they were previously bred.
Like American bison they are fairly , easily maintained

 

[PSO]

The last two U.S. facilities i can remember that had wisent were SDWAP and Catskills. Both ended up in private sector if I remember correctly

 

[Pleistohorse]

I saw them back in the early 1980’s at Bronx Zoo and Catskill Game Farm. Saw them in Europe in the early 90’s and 00’s. Saw them in South Korea in 2004. I sure wish we could get them here in Alaska. It would be great to have Wood Bison, Plains Bison, and European Bison on view.

 

[Ituri]

The last two U.S. facilities i can remember that had wisent were SDWAP and Catskills. Both ended up in private sector if I remember correctly

The remaining animals were hybridized with American bison. No true wisent left in North America

 

[Don Majeski]

The remaining animals were hybridized with American bison. No true wisent left in North America

That’s a bummer
You mean, in all the years they had been displayed no one thought to maintain a pure bred line ?

 

[Ituri]

That’s a bummer
You mean, in all the years they had been displayed no one thought to maintain a pure bred line ?

The hybridization was done in the private trade, not by zoos. They were already gone from zoos at that point

 

[Wisp O' Mist]

Are there any European Bison in captivity in the US?

Silvertine Wildlife Co up in Saskatchewan, Canada, owns the last (high-percentage) Wisent in North America.

Hybrid European Bison (Wisent)

Silvertine is not a zoo, merely a series of privately-owned hunting reserves.

Silvertine's hybrid Wisent came off of White Elk Ranch, another privately-owned hunting reserve. In Nebraska.

Hunting

Note: White Elk Ranch's website hasn't been updated since 2016. They no longer have Wisent despite the website saying that they do.

White Elk Ranch sourced their Wisent from an individual in North Dakota, who bought them off of a guy in New Mexico. That man evidently was the one who bought them off of the zoo's that had them.

North Dakota resident breeds rare European bison

That being said, Shadow Nursery also had Wisent at some point... And White Elk Ranch also evidently acquired that herd...

European Bison news

So the history of Wisent in North America is a somewhat convoluted one, to say the least.

AllAboutBison has a decent rundown, though: European Bison

 

[elefante]

I remember seeing them in the Brookfield Zoo in 1993. I had no idea someone in North Dakota bred them!