site.btaThree Bison Calves Born in Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Free-Roaming Herd Now Numbers 22

A total of three new bison calves were born in the Studen Kladenets area in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Neli Naydenova from the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation told journalists in Kardzhali on Friday. Naydenova specified that the calves were born in late May and early June and that with them the population of free-roaming bison in the Studen Kladenets area now stands at 22.

The first calf in the free-roaming herd in the Eastern Rhodopes was born in 2019, becoming the first European bison born free south of the Danube in centuries. 

Naydenova described this year's three calves as an exceptional success and evidence that the population there is stable, as the young females and the older ones are reproducing. She added that there is a new area in the Eastern Rhodopes where the Foundation is also trying to restore the bison population.

Naydenova recalled that the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation’s efforts to restore the bison population to stable levels date back to 2013. "This is an extremely difficult process of adaptation, with several smaller groups over the years, coming from different parts of the world. As you know, they are taken from zoos, from breeding centres, and all over Europe there are currently projects to reintroduce the species and the competition for them is great," Naydenova pointed out. She said that there is no specific figure that is sought for the restoration of the species, but that the idea is to reach a stable population that does not require human support.

In addition to the bison, the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation is also working on the restoration of the black vulture, the wild horse, the fallow deer and the red deer. "We are trying to restore the food chain in the Eastern Rhodopes species by species, and in addition to Studen Kladenets, this is also happening in the areas of Madzharovo, Zhenda, and Byala Reka," Naydenova noted.