FOTA WILDLIFE PARK MAKES SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO EUROPEAN BISON

FOTA WILDLIFE PARK MAKES SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO EUROPEAN BISON
POPULATION


Yesterday Tuesday, 22nd April, Fota Wildlife Park sent four of its
European Bison to Poland, as part of the European Bison breeding programme
in the wild.

Speaking in Fota Wildlife Park, Operations Manager, Tony Dwyer, said “The
European Bison is an endangered species and huge efforts have been made to
ensure its survival. We first introduced European Bison to Fota Wildlife
Park in 1999 and since then, seven Bison have been born in Fota. We are
delighted to be in a position to contribute to the European Bison
population in the wild, by sending four Bison that were born in the park
during the last three years, to Poland. The four Bison will help ensure a
genetically diverse population among bison in the wild”.

This breeding programme has allowed many European bison to be re-introduced
to the wild, mainly in Poland and Russia.The total herd at Fota comprised of 12 bison, just one less than the original 13 breeding stock, responsible for the 3,000 in total Bison
population today.

Ranging in age from 2 to 3 years, Loes, Bo, Lynda and Evelijn will be
released into the Komancza Forest district of the Carpathian Mountains in
southern Poland, where they will join other bison in the wild.
Visitors will still be able to see the remaining Bison herd of eight in
Fota Wildlife Park.