14 European bison have been brought to Romania from Germany and Sweden, as part of a project entitled „LIFE with Bison”, co-financed by the European Union, which aims to translocate 40 bison over the next five years to increase the population in the Ţarcu Mountains to over 250 specimens by 2029.
Currently, Romania has approximately 300 bison in the wild, scattered in the Ţarcu Mountains, Vânători-Neamţ Park, and Făgăraş Mountains.
Rewilding Romania, in partnership with WWF-Romania (World Wide Fund for Nature), supervised the translocation of the 14 bison to the Southern Carpathians, marking the first transports from the "LIFE with Bison" program, as well as 10 years since the arrival of the first bison in the Ţarcu Mountains.
The 14 bison were translocated to Romania through two transports (one from Germany, with 10 bison coming from the Kiel, Sababurg, Wielburg, and Donaumoos centers, and one from Sweden, with 4 bison from the Avesta center).
Both operations were ensured by Hunland, a company specialized in animal transport, and included regular stops to ensure the well-being of the bison.
The animals are currently in a specially arranged area, where they will be monitored by rangers and a veterinarian to ensure a smooth transition to the new environment.
After 21 days, the animals will join the existing population of free bison in the Ţarcu Mountains and will contribute to increasing genetic diversity.
"By reintroducing key species such as bison, we allow nature to take its course. 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 and increase the potential for tourism while improving the quality of life for local communities. We are pleased to have already completed one-third of our 5-year journey in this program," stated Marina Drugă, Team Leader of Rewilding Romania and technical manager of the "LIFE with Bison" Project.
The project is a collaborative effort involving Rewilding Romania, WWF-Romania, Rewilding Europe, WeWilder, the Research-Development Institute for Game and Mountain Resources (ICDCRM), and the local authorities of the communes Armeniş, Teregova, and Cornereva in Caraş-Severin.
"LIFE with Bison" is part of a broader initiative to ensure 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.
The project also involves other bison reintroduction initiatives in Romania, managed by the Conservation Carpathia Foundation and Romsilva, as well as various state institutions.