The return of the bison

Out of the ark and into the wild

“Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. The water receded steadily from the earth. […] The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.” [Genesis 8, 2-7]

In the Bible, the first animal to leave Noah’s Ark was a raven. But in more recent history, European bison are among the first passengers to return to their homeland after a long journey – where they only narrowly escaped extinction.

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    Return of the heavyweights

    Over a period of two years, a special “bison task force” put together a 20-strong herd of European bison. These animals were then taken on a long journey to Azerbaijan, where they spent some time getting acclimatised in a 300-hectare reintroduction centre at the foot of the Greater Caucasus mountain range. Then, in December 2021, the big moment arrived: the gates to the core zone of the 130,000-hectare Shahdag National Park were opened. Since then, bison have been living wild in Azerbaijan once again.

    By air instead of by sea

    Bison were once found across large parts of Europe, but shrinking habitats and hunting meant European bison populations were in decline as early as the 11th century. In 1927, the last wild bison was shot in the Caucasus, leaving the majestic bovines extinct in the wild. Zoos became a sort of “Noah’s Ark”, ensuring the bison’s survival. Recently, Tierpark Berlin’s Deputy Zoological Director Dr Florian Sicks accompanied nine bison on the journey of a lifetime. The intrepid group travelled from Frankfurt-Hahn to Baku in the belly of a Boeing 747. We talked to Dr Sicks about his wild adventure.

    Dr Sicks, you went from one of the wildest places in Berlin to the even wilder Caucasus – how was the journey?

    Exciting. The flight in the cargo plane was probably as strange and unfamiliar for me and my fellow scientists from WWF as it was for the bison. Despite the years of planning and careful preparations, it’s natural to be a bit nervous. Some 4,000 km lay between the final veterinary examination at Zoo Berlin and the opening of the specially made transport boxes in front of the acclimatisation enclosure at the national park. We weren’t flying the plane ourselves but we were responsible for the cargo, which weighed several tonnes in total. It was a huge relief when all the bison arrived safely at the national park. It was also a very special experience for me personally. It’s not every day you get to accompany animals on the first phase of being returned to the wild. Amidst the routine of everyday life, which now mostly involves sitting at a desk, it’s moments like this that remind you what you are actually doing it all for. And this success story is all the more special because we know that the European bison almost didn’t make it. For many other species, including the Steller’s sea cow, the Tasmanian tiger and the quagga, help came too late.

    What determines which species is ready to leave the safety of the “ark”? What conditions have to be met for reintroduction to be possible?

    The reintroduction of animals that have become extinct in the wild is an enormous feat. No one country, zoo or environmental organisation can take on a task of this magnitude alone – especially when the animal concerned is so large. Projects like the return of the bison make it clear that species conservation requires teamwork. A successful outcome can only be achieved by building long-term relationships of mutual trust between international, national and local partners. It also takes a lot of perseverance, courage and patience on all sides – because, unfortunately, setbacks are unavoidable even when a project is ultimately successful. The most important basis for reintroduction is the availability of a suitable habitat for the animals – one where we can rule out the original causes of extinction, such as hunting, in the medium to long term. It also requires commitment from politicians and the necessary financial resources. If one link in the chain is missing, the project is doomed to fail sooner or later. The support of the local population is also crucial. A clear example of this here in Europe is the wolf. Often, it is not the animals that have to be ready for reintroduction, but the people with whom they will share their habitat.

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    Preview

    What role do Zoo and Tierpark Berlin play in reintroduction projects?

    These projects not only require a suitable habitat and many years of reintroduction experience, but also the most important element of all: the animals themselves. And this is where zoos come in. We have the necessary expertise and decades of practical experience when it comes to keeping, handling and transporting wild animals – and we also know how to put together successful breeding groups. That’s why the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria formed part of the international team of experts in this particular project from the very beginning. And Berlin has always been an important location in the successful conservation of European bison – a story that almost ended as a historical tragedy, as at one point in time there were only 54 individuals remaining. In 1923, the International Society for the Protection of the European Bison was founded at Zoo Berlin, laying the foundation for today’s coordinated breeding programme. Bison have lived at Zoo Berlin since 1872. And Tierpark Berlin has also contributed to the breeding of this species since it opened in 1955. To date, more than 200 European bison have been born at Berlin’s zoos. And the fact that they are now heading out of Berlin into their natural habitat makes this dramatic success story almost film-worthy. Instead of becoming a symbol of species extinction, the bison, like the giant panda, is now a symbol of successful species conservation.

    Bearded vultures are soaring over the Alps again, Przewalski’s horses are grazing on the steppes of Mongolia, and Europe’s largest land mammal is back. Has the flood subsided? Can we hope to continue seeing more animals emerge from the ark?
     

    If we think of the flood as the current extinction of species – caused by humans – there can be no talk of it subsiding just yet. At most, land is slowly coming into sight for certain species that we humans have made a special effort for. This is true of the European bison, with “mountain peaks” also emerging from the floodwaters in Poland, Romania, Ukraine and Russia. Here in Germany, humans have altered the natural landscape to such a degree that barely any habitats are left that might sustain such large animals. However, these examples demonstrate that the principle of the ark can work – and that it is still worthwhile to work to save species that may not have a safe haven in sight just yet. The Harz Mountains, for example, were completely deforested in the 17th century, but now lynxes are living wild there again – even migrating from there to other areas. However, there isn’t room for all endangered species on the ark. The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently classifies around 40,000 species as threatened. That is why our second task, education, is at least as important as breeding and conservation. Zoos consider themselves gateways to the wild, enabling people to access and relate to nature – especially those who have lost that connection through their urban, technology-driven lifestyles. And we have many allies fighting our corner. Numerous environmental and species conservationists are working hard towards the same goal: to get people excited about animals and nature, to rally them to their aid, and to save as many species as possible. For an animal that was once extinct in the wild to now be classified as merely “endangered” is sadly still an exception at the moment, but it gives us reason to hope.

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