An animal that has been seen in the wilds of Britain is returning after more than a 1,000 years. Bison are being introduced into an ancient British woodland to help tackle the nature and climate crises, conservationists said.
The release, led by Kent Wildlife Trust and the Wildwood Trust, forms part of a £1.12 million project to manage West Blean and Thornden Woods near Canterbury, Kent, funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund. European bison, the continent’s largest land mammal, are the closest living relative to ancient steppe bison that would have once roamed Britain and naturally managed the habitat, the conservationists said.
The bison are being released into a fenced enclosure to help restore the woods with their natural behaviour – grazing, felling trees, eating bark and taking dust baths – which will open the canopy and create new spaces for other wildlife.
