Poland on drive to save European bison

The current small population of European bison and the resulting small gene pool, reduces the resistance of these animals to disease.

This is only one of the threats to this species. That is why the Environment Ministry has gathered experts in the field to look into protection the animal in Poland.

Experts will consider, among other solutions, to resettle the species from the Bialowieza region.

"In Poland we got used to the bison, that it's there is, that it was saved [in the past]. We must remember, however, that few more than five thousand individuals remain in the would. These figures are much lower than the numbers of the extremely endangered white rhinos,” Deputy Environment Minister, and Chief Nature Conservator Piotr Otawski, told the PAP news agency.

“In a wide group, we have to consider how develop the population of European bison in Poland and whether we are able to continue grow numbers in our conditions, whether we have adequate capacity for growth,” Otawski said. (rg)