Despite the fact that population of European bison in Białowieża Primeval Forest has reached about 350, the species is still seriously endangered. Reasons for this include: restricted and insufficient habitats, fragmentation and isolation of free-ranging herds, high inbreeding of animals, low resistance to diseases, and inappropriate forms of management. Although the total world population is still small (about 3,000), the free-ranging herd in The Białowieża Primeval Forest is regularly reduced by culling. This is due to very restricted area of the Forest, where the bison can range. Additionally, winter feeding in the traditional places located in the centre of the Forest causes very high concentrations of herds and influences their behaviour and spatial distribution in other areas.

These alarming problems may seriously endanger survival of the species in Podlasie Region in the long run. Thus, it is necessary to take up measures which would secure the stability of the population of the European Bison in Białowieża Primeval Forest and its vicinity. In order to deal with these problems, it is necessary to look beyond purely conservation issues and take into consideration the wider view on European bison presence in the region and the opportunities and problems that emerge from that fact. This project is a part of a wider initiative called The European Bison Programme, which aims at combining effective conservation of European Bison with sustainable regional development of Podlasie based on its natural and cultural values.

© Mateusz Szymura

The major goal of the project is to improve the situation of bison in Białowieża Forest i.e. create possibilities for the European bison to expand its range over the forest areas in the vicinity of Białowieża Primeval Forest, improve the food and water availability and the image of the species among local people.

Preparation of dispersion routes from Białowieża Forest will facilitate connecting already existing forest areas into one ecologically continuous region and allow gene flow between the currently separated herds of bison in Białowieża Primeval Forest and Knyszyn Forest. The methods to expand bison distribution rely on creating possibilities for natural migration of bison into environmentally suitable areas and encouraging the free-ranging bison to disperse. The latter will be done mainly by dispersion of winter feeding sites in Białowieża Forest. The ecological corridors for bison will be determined during the execution of the project on the basis of the results of ecological audit and introduced into the local government management plans for legal protection.

Major activities under the project include improvement of food and water supply in Białowieża Forest. This will encourage dispersal of bison within the forest and diminish its dependence on additional feeding.

These measures will be accompanied by the implementation of a complex monitoring system of the expanding bison herds, directions of migration, and genetic structure of population.