Local authorities in the north-western Romanian county of Maramureș are set to establish a bison reservation.
The reservation will be located on the outskirts of Băiuț commune in the county.
“Through this project, we will bring back the bison to our county, an animal that lived in the Maramureș forests until around the 1800s. The bison is an identity symbol of Maramureș, which we also find in our county’s coat of arms. The bison reserve we are creating in Băiuț commune will include the access area to the reserve, payment and bison observation points, resting place, administrative building, viewpoint, and the reservation itself,” said Ionel Bogdan, president of the Maramureș County Council, in a post on Facebook.
In the first stage, the reservation will host five bison, with their number expected to increase over time. Local officials say that the reserve will attract more tourists to the county.
“Currently, there are only five bison reserves at the national level, which is why this project is so important, through which we develop and at the same time conserve this species and, most importantly, bring it back to the Maramureș lands,” added Ionel Bogdan.
According to WWF, Romania is one of 9 European countries where bison can be found in the wild. Around 6,000 bison live in the wild in Europe and 160 in Romania.
(Photo source: Ionel Bogdan on Facebook)
