Bison-Rewilding-Plan-2014

Annex: European bison reintroductionand management guidelinesIntroductionThe challenge for Rewilding Europe is to ensurethe return and survival of European bison inhuman-dominated landscapes. Since these animalsare large, visible and can cause damage, their re-introductionis perceived, in general, as controversial.Despite the on-going land abandonment the ruralareas remain human dominated. Much land isprivately owned and there remains a lot of localinterest for use of the land besides agriculture e.g.hunting, use of summer houses, mushroom pickingetc. Therefore, the success of a bison reintroductiondepends very much on the acceptance of the localpeople, an element that has been neglected in the past.In the past, bison conservation planning hasfocused predominantly on forest habitat. This wasrelated to ecological knowledge at the time but alsostrongly influenced by landownership. Forests areusually under state administration while open areasare either private or communal land and grazed bydomestic livestock. Given the evidence availablefor a wider tolerance of habitats, other habitats forbison should be considered. The overall quality ofthe habitat, especially the diversity of habitats andecosystems at new planned re-introduction sitesmust also be scoped. Finally good preparation anda roadmap for the release itself are of great importancein ensuring a successful reintroduction andevery reintroduction should be accompanied witha well-planned monitoring programme.The local bison reintroduction team, in cooperationwith the local people and/or local authorities,should look for opportunities to find a suitablesite that best fits the parameters of the project;is available, and has support, both from the localcommunity and the local authorities.The following reintroduction guidelines arefounded on the guiding principles which areoutlined in the ‘Bison Rewilding Plan’.47RUUD MAASKANT / ARK NATURE