International Scope

About a hundred years ago, the European bison went extinct in the wild. Fortunately, still a number of animals were present in captivity to start a program to save the species from overall extinction. Since the 1950s, bison are roaming in the wild again.

Meanwhile, the number of bison has increased substantially but still the species is threatened. A lot of effort is undertaken to improve the future for the bison. The European Bison Conservation Centre in Poland plays an important coordinating role in this. Many studies are done and bison are reintroduced in several places throughout Europe. By this, much knowledge is gained and it is important to share knowledge at a European level with each other. Every year the European Bison Friends Society in Poland bison organizes a conference where a large number of bison managers and researchers are present to share information. Also the Kraansvlak project is represented.

In 2013, the European nature organization Rewilding Europe launched the European Rewilding Network. This network aims to connect many inspiring rewilding initiatives taking place across Europe. By doing so, it becomes easier to exchange information and to gain further inspiration. The bison project of Kraansvlak was one of the first members of the network.