This year a farewell is imminent in the Wismar zoo: a bison bull is leaving the herd. It is said to be released into the wild in Romania and in future to be at home in the Carpathian Mountains. The wild cattle, which were once almost extinct, are being resettled there. This is made possible by the nature conservation organization WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature). In 2013 she started the wisent project in Transylvania and has already brought several animals there from Germany. Now there is another bison from Wismar – “Wincent”.
“Our animals have a good bloodline, which is important for breeding,” explains animal park boss Michael Werner. The bull is made available free of charge for the release project. Also because so far only boys have been born in the Wismar herd. The youngest are called Will and Winnetou. “Unfortunately, males are not as popular as females and are therefore more difficult to convey,” explains Michael Werner. So he’s all the happier that another cop is now making it to freedom.
The WWF pays for the transport and the stunning. As the nature conservation organization informs, bison used to be spread all over Europe. Their horns would have adorned the helmets of the Teutons. With the deforestation of the European forests, their stock then dwindled.
A last specimen was seen in England in the 11th century. 200 years later, the ungulates are extinct in France. Further to the east they lasted longer: in 1755 a poacher shot the last wild bison in East Prussia. The remaining ruminants in the Polish Bialowieza forest and in the Caucasus were eaten by the hungry population after the First World War.
Central stud books
When compiling the herds, the WWF relies on centrally managed herd books. This enables family planning to be carried out in a targeted manner in order to equip future bison herds with the broadest possible gene pool.
According to the international stud book, all the names of the bison born in the Wismar zoo must begin with “Wi”. The book is run by the Polish colleagues from Białowieza. The best known and oldest free-living populations are at home in the national park there. “Every birth and every death is reported there,” reports Zoo employee Marina Welsch. Białowieza also examines where the animals can be transferred to in order to preserve genetic diversity and avoid inbreeding. The two little bison bulls are also transferred from there to other institutions at the appropriate age.
1000 kilos
Before heading out into freedom, “Wincent” first comes to the 25 hectare Donausmoos bison enclosure. In Wismar, “Wincent” is part of a herd of six and the smaller of two bulls. There are also two cows and two boys. Large bulls can weigh up to 1,000 kilograms. The cows are smaller and lighter, but they set the tone in the herds. The males separate from the group when they are around three years old and go their own way. They only show up again at the mating season in late summer and the strongest then gather a harem of up to eight cows around them.
From Kerstin Schröder
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