To put rewilding into practice Rewilding Europe has started its first bison project in the Tarcu mountains in Southern Carpathians, Romania.
The approach is different then any previous re-introduction/bison conservation project. For the next 10 years Rewilding Europe will yearly release, a considerable group of bison at several pilot sites in the project area. The bison will not
be additionally fed, once released into the wild and thus allowing the bison to become a full part of the natural ecosystem and its natural processes. The bison will first be released into an acclimatisation zone (±15 ha) where it can recover from the re-location. After recovery and acclimatisation the bison will be allowed to enter the adjoining re-wilding zone (>100 ha)
where the bison will be given the opportunity to ‘re-wild’ and learn necessary survival skills for life in nature and form a good solid, social herd structure. After one year, the fence will be opened and the bison will be released.
Both acclimatisation zone and re-wilding zone will serve as an important regional tourist attraction to bring business opportunities and jobs to the local community. A bison visitor centre will be established from which several bison /
nature related activities will be organised.
The goal of the Tarcu mountain bison project is to have a minimum of 1 000 bison living in freedom by 2035.
Rewilding Europe works closely with the local community, local entrepreneurs, local authorities, Forestry service, hunting organisations, tourist organisations etc.
Besides the pilot project in the Tarcu mountains Rewilding Europe aims at establishing 5 more populations of minimum 100 individuals / population at different rewilding areas.

Given the low numbers of the European bison in the world it can be said, with exaggeration, that the bison (<2 700 in the wild), is more threatened then the Black rhino (±4750 in the wild).

sursa: Proceedings Rewilding Europe Seminar at WILD10