bison

 

When Europe’s heaviest land mammals, the European bison, were introduced to the woodlands near Canterbury, hopes were high that they would thrive and create space for other wildlife.

Their success in West Blean and Thornden Woods, however, has been so remarkable that additional space is now needed—leading to the construction of the UK’s first-ever “bison bridges.”

Four bridges, costing a total of £1 million, are being built to allow these bison, classified as dangerous wild animals under UK law, to cross public footpaths in the ancient woodlands without direct interaction with visitors.

The bison, which can weigh up to one tonne, will walk beneath the bridges, while footpaths will go over the top, keeping people safe and providing a unique vantage point for wildlife watching.

This pioneering restoration project, launched in July 2022 by Kent Wildlife Trust and the Wildwood Trust, began with the release of a small herd of three female bison.

Unknown to the project team, one of the females was pregnant and soon gave birth to a calf. A male bison, brought in from Germany, joined the group, and another calf was born, bringing the herd to six.

Initially, the bison were roaming across 50 hectares (123 acres) of woodland, but the new bridges will allow them access to a much larger area of 200 hectares.

The bridges are funded by a combination of sources, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Highways, the Michael Uren Foundation, Veolia Environmental Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, and private donors.

As central figures in the Wilder Blean project, the bison, alongside free-roaming pigs and ponies, are helping to transform the woodlands by breaking up old conifer plantations. This creates a more natural and biodiverse forest that can store more carbon, contributing to climate change mitigation.

The European bison, a relative of the extinct steppe bison, was last seen in Britain around 6,000 years ago.

After being wiped out in the wild, with the last one killed in the Caucasus in 1927, reintroduction efforts from zoo-bred populations have led to the resurgence of free-ranging herds across Europe in countries like Germany, Switzerland, and Poland.

Bison are known as ecosystem engineers. By stripping bark from trees, they create deadwood that supports insects, birds, and bats. Their dust-bathing creates patches for burrowing insects, and their trampling of vegetation opens space for wildflowers to flourish.

Additionally, their presence can significantly increase carbon sequestration. A study in Romania found that bison reintroduced to the Southern Carpathians helped capture an additional 54,000 tonnes of carbon annually.

Kent Wildlife Trust hopes this successful introduction will inspire similar projects across the UK.

However, the classification of bison as dangerous animals in the UK, requiring extensive fencing and other precautions, makes such projects costly compared to other European countries where bison and humans mix more freely, like in the Netherlands.

Simon Bateman-Brown of Kent Wildlife Trust said: “Our wildlife is in trouble, and we need to think differently about how we deliver conservation projects in the UK if we are to change our future. The Wilder Blean initiative is a ground-breaking proof of concept project laying out the blueprint for others to follow and we are leading the way to make it easier for other organisations to replicate.

“We recognise that miles of fencing and bridges is a barrier to rewilding projects, but we must demonstrate what can be achieved so we can advocate for change. Bison are no more dangerous than domestic cattle and, in other parts of the world, they roam freely in public areas.

Our long-term vision is to remove the steel fencing and have the herd contained via electric fencing, but until the government makes the law fit for rewilding, we will continue to make a case for projects like this, so they can be replicated.”

Planning permission has been granted for the bison bridges, with two expected to be completed by the end of the year.

 

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