**2. Species history and restoration**

The European bison (*Bison bonasus*) is currently the wild land mammal of Europe, belonging to the cloven-hoofed ruminants, the family *Bovidae*. The males may reach up to 1000 kg (average 700–800 kg) of weight, while female up to 650 kg (average 400–500 kg) [1]. At the beginning of the last millennium, lowland European bison lived widely in the vast forests covering most of Europe and were highly valued hunting prize. In Europe, the wild bison survived the longest at the Białowieża Forest while it was within the borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1919, the last free-living European bison in the Białowieża Forest was killed. In 1927, the scientific expedition to Caucasus has also failed to find any living European bison there. The period between 1919 and 1929 was the time when not a single European bison was present at the Białowieża Forest. When in 1924 a decision was taken to try to save the species, only 54 European bison were still alive worldwide; however only a part of those animals participated in the species restitution. Currently, all European bison living in the world originate from 12 animals, referred to as the founding group. The European bison belongs to two lines, i.e., Lowland (derived only from seven individuals) and Lowland-Caucasian. As part of the restitution breeding in September 1929, the first European bison returned to Białowieża, but it was not until 1952 that two individuals were released into the wild [2]. Currently, over 1200 animals live in the entire Białowieża Primeval Forest (560 on the Belarusian side); there are almost 1900 of them all over Poland and over 7000 in the whole world [3]. In Poland, European bison appear in 5 free-living populations and over 20 enclosures (**Figure 1**). European bison are protected animals and are inscribed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [4] under the vulnerable category. In Poland and Belarus, European bison have the status of animals under species protection, while in other countries they are treated as free-living animals kept in closed breeding. Since they need a space composed of a forest environment in which they spend most of their time, as well as grasslands (pastures) for feeding, only few places in Europe meet the conditions without causing losses in agricultural crops and forestry [1]. An efficient way to minimize conflicts is to carry out winter supplementary feeding of these animals with roughage (hay), which provides an existential minimum for European bison and may protect the crops [5]. For veterinarians, breeders, and carers of the free-living bison population, winter gathering is the appropriate occasion to overview the herd. All European bison are counted, and the sexual (male, female) and age (calves, 0–1 year; youth, 2–3 years; adult, 4 years and more) structures of the herd are determined. The individuals are entered into the European Bison Pedigree Book [3]. In addition, the winter overview of the herd allows to identify any diseased or weak animals, which may constitute a potential epizootic threat to other European bison [1, 6]. Because European bison remain endangered and rare species, as well as attractive because of their uniqueness as a show species, breeding restitution of this species is also carried out in enclosures and reserves in Poland and Europe. All European bison kept in captivity have a

**149**

**Figure 1.**

*Infectious Disease Monitoring of European Bison (*Bison bonasus*)*

unique pedigree number and a name, specific for the country and place of the origin [3]. Keeping breeding centers allows to control the breeding of European bison by selection of animals with known pedigree and least related. Moreover, breeding enclosures provide a genetic and breeding reserve of pedigree animals in case if any depopulating incidence occurs, what the species had already experienced at the beginning of twentieth century. Therefore, the management of the enclosures needs to be supervised by a veterinarian. Each movement of animals between breeding centers should be preceded by a clinical examination of the animal; a laboratory test for the most important infectious diseases and prophylaxis (more often therapeutic

One of the dangers, often underestimated by ignorance or financial incentives, is the commercial breeding of American bison (*Bison bison*) in Europe, which is a serious genetic and epizootic threat for European species. The European and American bison crossbreed can naturally reproduce, which means that the co-existence of both species in one area could lead to loss of the protected species genetic purity and threaten biodiversity and conservation [8]. Therefore, the establishment of commercial American bison farms disqualifies the immediate vicinity as potential places for the release of European bison into the wild. Moreover, the presence of American bison poses a critical epizootic risk to the European cousin, since they can transmit the pathogens threating European bison health, which are absent or emerging in Europe [9], for example, *Fasciola magna* invasions [10] or epizootic hemorrhagic disease, caused by EHDV [11]. The close interspecies relationship does not ensure similar susceptibility to diseases. Significant differences in clinical outcome of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection were demonstrated, for instance, between dromedary and Bactrian camels [12]. The burden of FMD epizootics in Polish European bison at the beginning of the twentieth century was

in practice) against ecto- and endoparasites should be applied [7].

*European bison population distribution in Poland, 2018 (graphic design by J. Tomana).*

much higher than in cattle in the same area [13, 14].

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84290*

#### **Figure 1.**

*Wildlife Population Monitoring*

**2. Species history and restoration**

aspect is the sanitary control of the animals in movement, especially of the greatest health threats such as tuberculosis and bluetongue disease and conducting quarantine for the introduced animals. One should also not underestimate the potential health hazards that can be assessed by postmortem diagnostics of fallen and selectively eliminated animals followed by discriminatory laboratory testing. The future of the European bison depends on the wise care of the herd managers and veterinary medicine specialists based on the best scientific and practical knowledge.

The European bison (*Bison bonasus*) is currently the wild land mammal of Europe, belonging to the cloven-hoofed ruminants, the family *Bovidae*. The males may reach up to 1000 kg (average 700–800 kg) of weight, while female up to 650 kg (average 400–500 kg) [1]. At the beginning of the last millennium, lowland European bison lived widely in the vast forests covering most of Europe and were highly valued hunting prize. In Europe, the wild bison survived the longest at the Białowieża Forest while it was within the borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1919, the last free-living European bison in the Białowieża Forest was killed. In 1927, the scientific expedition to Caucasus has also failed to find any living European bison there. The period between 1919 and 1929 was the time when not a single European bison was present at the Białowieża Forest. When in 1924 a decision was taken to try to save the species, only 54 European bison were still alive worldwide; however only a part of those animals participated in the species restitution. Currently, all European bison living in the world originate from 12 animals, referred to as the founding group. The European bison belongs to two lines, i.e., Lowland (derived only from seven individuals) and Lowland-Caucasian. As part of the restitution breeding in September 1929, the first European bison returned to Białowieża, but it was not until 1952 that two individuals were released into the wild [2]. Currently, over 1200 animals live in the entire Białowieża Primeval Forest (560 on the Belarusian side); there are almost 1900 of them all over Poland and over 7000 in the whole world [3]. In Poland, European bison appear in 5 free-living populations and over 20 enclosures (**Figure 1**). European bison are protected animals and are inscribed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [4] under the vulnerable category. In Poland and Belarus, European bison have the status of animals under species protection, while in other countries they are treated as free-living animals kept in closed breeding. Since they need a space composed of a forest environment in which they spend most of their time, as well as grasslands (pastures) for feeding, only few places in Europe meet the conditions without causing losses in agricultural crops and forestry [1]. An efficient way to minimize conflicts is to carry out winter supplementary feeding of these animals with roughage (hay), which provides an existential minimum for European bison and may protect the crops [5]. For veterinarians, breeders, and carers of the free-living bison population, winter gathering is the appropriate occasion to overview the herd. All European bison are counted, and the sexual (male, female) and age (calves, 0–1 year; youth, 2–3 years; adult, 4 years and more) structures of the herd are determined. The individuals are entered into the European Bison Pedigree Book [3]. In addition, the winter overview of the herd allows to identify any diseased or weak animals, which may constitute a potential epizootic threat to other European bison [1, 6]. Because European bison remain endangered and rare species, as well as attractive because of their uniqueness as a show species, breeding restitution of this species is also carried out in enclosures and reserves in Poland and Europe. All European bison kept in captivity have a

**148**

*European bison population distribution in Poland, 2018 (graphic design by J. Tomana).*

unique pedigree number and a name, specific for the country and place of the origin [3]. Keeping breeding centers allows to control the breeding of European bison by selection of animals with known pedigree and least related. Moreover, breeding enclosures provide a genetic and breeding reserve of pedigree animals in case if any depopulating incidence occurs, what the species had already experienced at the beginning of twentieth century. Therefore, the management of the enclosures needs to be supervised by a veterinarian. Each movement of animals between breeding centers should be preceded by a clinical examination of the animal; a laboratory test for the most important infectious diseases and prophylaxis (more often therapeutic in practice) against ecto- and endoparasites should be applied [7].

One of the dangers, often underestimated by ignorance or financial incentives, is the commercial breeding of American bison (*Bison bison*) in Europe, which is a serious genetic and epizootic threat for European species. The European and American bison crossbreed can naturally reproduce, which means that the co-existence of both species in one area could lead to loss of the protected species genetic purity and threaten biodiversity and conservation [8]. Therefore, the establishment of commercial American bison farms disqualifies the immediate vicinity as potential places for the release of European bison into the wild. Moreover, the presence of American bison poses a critical epizootic risk to the European cousin, since they can transmit the pathogens threating European bison health, which are absent or emerging in Europe [9], for example, *Fasciola magna* invasions [10] or epizootic hemorrhagic disease, caused by EHDV [11]. The close interspecies relationship does not ensure similar susceptibility to diseases. Significant differences in clinical outcome of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection were demonstrated, for instance, between dromedary and Bactrian camels [12]. The burden of FMD epizootics in Polish European bison at the beginning of the twentieth century was much higher than in cattle in the same area [13, 14].
