Stunning Photos Picture UK’s First Free-Roaming Bison Calf In Kent
A bison ranger has captured stunning photos of the UK’s first free-roaming bison calf as she approaches six months in age.
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Bison Ranger Donovan Wright, who has been watching over the herd since their arrival in July 2022, took the adorable photos whilst carrying out his duties on Saturday 25th February.
The calf was born in early September and was a welcome surprise to the Wilder Blean Project, a wilding initiative between Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust in which free-roaming bison have been released into West Blean and Thornden Woods to shape the landscape to make it more resilient to climate change whilst fighting the biodiversity crisis.
The herd was completed in December when the bull arrived from Germany, following delays due to legislative complications.
Director of Zoological Operation for Wildwood Trust, Mark Habben says it’s been a privilege to see the calf develop over the past six months: “These incredible pictures show how her horns are coming through and her once light brown baby fur is being replaced by a thick, coarse coat. When we see her carving out her place within the herd, we’re reminded of just how far the project has come.
“This time last year, there were no bison in the wild in the UK and we were facing Brexit-induced hurdles at every turn. Today, our global carbon footprint is still an unsolved problem, but the scattered footprints of this six-month-old calf remind us of the potential for change that projects like ours seek to encourage."
The calf is learning the behaviours of the bison around her and is often seen by the rangers rubbing on trees, dust-bathing and browsing in dense woodland.
As she grows, she will begin de-barking trees, overtime creating standing deadwood which becomes home to invertebrates, attracting birds and bats to the area. Her new thick coat will also hold seeds as she wanders through the forest and helps disperse them as she rubs on trees and dust-bathes, creating micro-habitats in the woodland.
In the next few weeks the first phase of the Wilder Blean Project, which was made possible through funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery awarded through the Dream Fund, will be completed when other conservation grazing animals will be released into the woodland.
The Exmoor ponies, Iron-Age pigs and Long-horn cattle will also bring their own unique grazing behaviours to the forest which will help to shape the woodland creating light and space for other wildlife to thrive.
The Long-horns have been chosen for their ability to graze woody twigs, trees and scrub, opening up the canopy. The ponies target softer vegetation creating space for different species in grassy and scrubby areas whereas the pigs will compliment this by rootling around with their snouts, looking for roots and bulbs, disturbing the soil and causing seeds to grow, even if they have been dormant for some time.
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Wilder Blean Project Manager Stan Smith of Kent Wildlife Trust says: “We are delighted the herd is doing so well, whilst the calf was a surprise addition to the project, we couldn’t be happier or asked for more in how the whole herd have bonded. They have already begun shaping the landscape around them and we are seeing bison corridors opening in the woodland and areas that were once in darkness bathed in light.
“The introduction of the conservation grazers will see the first phase of the project completed and we cannot wait to get our initial reports back from the extensive monitoring programme that will highlight some of the changes they have made to the woodland.”
Anyone who wishes to contribute to this ground-breaking wilding project can donate via Just Giving.
Images Donovan Wright
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