Czech wisent bull from Kraansvlak to Slikken van de Heen

The Czech wisent bull which came to Kraansvlak in June 2020, was transported to Slikken van de Heen, Zeeland on March 11th 2025. The European bison, also known as the wisent, has a small genetic base. The exchange of animals between populations in Europe is very important to keep the gene pool as diverse as possible. 

Area of origin

In June 2020 the then three year old bull came from Czech Republic to the Dutch dunes of Kraansvlak (https://www.wisenten.nl/en/nieuws/2020/new-european-bison-bull-released-...). In Czech Republic, this bull was born in the Large Herbivore Reserve of Milovice. The nature reserve covers an area of 350 hectares, making it the first and still largest reserve for large herbivores in the Czech Republic. It was established in 2015 in cooperation with scientists from the Biological Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The pasture reserve covers part of the former military area, where the largest base of the occupying Soviet army in the former Czechoslovakia was located. The grazing of large ungulates protects an open landscape with the occurrence of more than 111 species of flowers.

Offspring

The bull has lived for five years of his reproductive life in the herd in Kraansvlak. In 2021 his first offspring was born, a female. In the following years six more calves followed. One of these animals died in the first months. This is not abnormal, on average 20% of the calves die in the first year. Four of the five other calves from this male are bulls. For these animals we will look for other semi free living herds where they will also hopefully fulfill an important role for the conservation of nature in Europe and for the species itself.

New herd

In Slikken van de Heen the bull comes in a herd of seven: three adult cows, two young bulls, an adult bull plus a young cow. The herd lives here since 2020. Slikken van de Heen is a dynamic area with a lot of different landscape types, flora and fauna. The area consists of former sand plates and shallow waters. Because of the closure of the Philipsdam in 1987 the area fell dry and desalinated. It consists of a half open landscape with varied forested and open parts. Since 2020 a small herd of wisents live there together with introduced koniks and ‘rode geuzen’. There is a walking path through the area that’s open for the public year round. For more information: https://www.hetzeeuwselandschap.nl/actueel/wisenten-op-de-slikken-van-de...

A variety of herbivores

Despite all the differences between the three nature areas where the bull has lived or is going to live, there is also an overarching and important goal that the areas have in common: the recovery of natural processes. Large grazers are making a comeback in many nature areas in Europe for nature to flourish again. Wisents are often introduced with semi wild breeds of cattle and horses to bring back mosaics of half open landscapes. The difference in behavior between species enhance the natural dynamics of the nature areas where they live. For more information: https://www.naturetoday.com/intl/nl/nature-reports/message/?msg=32762#   

Photos: Ruud Maaskant