Nature

Wisent (Bison bonasus)

The wisent (European bison) is the biggest land mammal in Europe. Males can be even 2 metres tall and weigh over 1000 kilograms. The species is a close relative of the American bison, though it’s a bit smaller. There are two subspecies: the Caucasian bison living in mountainous areas and the lowland bison living in mixed forests and open wetlands. The last wisent living in the wild was killed in Bia³owie¿a Forest in 1919. In 1923, Polish representatives at the International Congress of Nature Protection convinced other countries to support efforts to restitute the wild popoulation from a little more than 10 specimens living in zoos. This way the Bia³owie¿a Forest became the world centre of wisent breeding. Today, almost half of 3000 lowland bisons living in the world originate from there. In Poland, around 600 wisent live in the wild, 350 of them in the Bia³owie¿a Forest. They live in herds of 10 to 15. In the time of heat (August-September) they form bigger herds of 30-40. Wisent eat herbs, grasses, acorns. However, they do not eat the Hierochloe australis– grass which can be found in bottles of the popular Polish vodka "Å»ubrówka". The wisent is a protected species in Poland.

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