The arrival of the first bison to be born in the wild in the UK in around 6,000 years has been announced. The female calf was born to one of the three European bison which were released in Kent in July this year as part of the Wilder Blean project.
Organisers did not know one of the bison was pregnant. Bison hide their pregnancies to avoid becoming the target of predators, so rangers were taken by surprise by the new arrival.
Bison ranger Tom Gibbs said: "Though it was a surprise to see that the younger female bison had given birth, it was always a possibility, and we have created a care plan for the calf to ensure her needs are met. These animals are wild, so we want to remain as hands-off as possible, but their welfare is at the absolute heart of what we do.
