European Bison Bison bonasus

The European Bison, also called Wisent, is Europe's heaviest native land animal. It is slightly lighter (in weight) but taller than its relative, the American Bison/Buffalo (see link below) and has much longer horns, a much longer tail and shorter fur on its shoulders. Male Bison (bull) above left; female Bison (cow) above right.

It became nearly extinct in the wild in the early 1900s but in recent years has been boosted in Poland/Belarus and re-introduced in other Eastern European countries and Central Asia.

Female Bison (shedding winter coat) and calf shown above. Females live in herds of about a couple of dozen, not necessarily related, including mixed young.

Adult males (shown above, shedding winter coat for summer) live in small groups of two or three.