A massive parasitic infestation has led to the death of 21 European bisons in the Ţarcu Mountains area, in Caraş-Severin county.
The discovery has raised concerns among local communities and authorities, considering that the bison is one of the emblematic species for conservation efforts in Romania.
However, authorities claim that the current population remains stable and that the project of reintroducing bisons into the wild continues to be a model at the European level.
The Prefect of Caraş-Severin county, Ioan Dragomir, stated on Radio Reşiţa that the analyses conducted so far do not indicate an artificial cause, but a biological problem: "Until now, we were proud of this successful experiment. NGOs involved in bringing and monitoring the bisons state that even today the project is seen as a success at the European level.
It is true that the loss of 21 individuals is a problem, but the situation becomes critical only if the mortality rate exceeds 10-15% of the total population. Currently, there are approximately 300 bisons in the wild."
According to him, analyses have ruled out poisoning as a possible cause of the deaths, establishing that it is a severe infestation with multiple types of parasites.
Rapid measures were taken to neutralize the carcasses to prevent attracting large animals such as bears or wolves. Two of the deceased specimens were cremated in Arad, while the rest were buried in the area of Armeniș commune.
The Director of the Caraş-Severin Sanitary-Veterinary Directorate, veterinarian Pavel Borchescu, confirmed that dangerous parasites and bacteria were identified in the analyses.
"Following necropsy examinations and laboratory analyses, a massive parasitic infestation was found. Bacteriological examination identified species such as Clostridium perfringens and streptococci. In total, 21 bison carcasses were identified."
The neutralization operation ended on September 19, and since then no new cases have been reported, the official stated for the same source.
The situation is continuously monitored by authorities. Prefect Dragomir specified that the health status surveillance of the bisons involves the Caraş-Severin SVSA, the Environmental Guard, the Forest Guard, the WeWilder Association, as well as the hunting fund rangers in the area.
Although the loss of the 21 specimens is a blow to the image of the repopulation program, experts emphasize that the situation is not critical and the project continues.
The bison is one of the largest terrestrial mammal species in Europe and a symbol of biodiversity. In Romania, the project of reintroducing bisons into the wild in the Ţarcu Mountains and Poiana Ruscă Mountains is recognized as a successful example in wildlife conservation.
Romania currently hosts one of the largest populations of wild bisons in Europe.