The Carpathian bison Bison bonasus: its past and future

抄録

A preliminary study was made of the status of the European bison Bison bonasus population in the Polish, Slovakian, and Ukrainian Carpathian mountains, in order to provide the background knowledge necessary to initiate a reintroduction program for this montane bison population. Three free-ranging herds were identified in Poland, all in the Bieszczady Mountains, and four were located in the Ukraine (Rozlucz, Skole, Nadvirna, Bukovina). Their present numbers vary from as few as 16 animals at Skole, to over 200 animals at Bukovina. In Slovakia, just nine bison survive in captivity. The population in the Polish Bieszczady Mountains has been stable in recent years, but in the Ukraine the overall population has been in decline for several years. The potential for re-establishing the European bison over its former Carpathian range is discussed, and the necessary components of such a reintroduction program, including analyses of the current population structure, reproduction and mortality factors, habitat assessment, and feasibility study, are all appraised.