Bisonte Returns to Spanish Highlands

Why this is here: A bison can completely strip the bark from an oak tree, unlike cattle which break branches and leave debris, according to Rewilding Spain’s Diego Rodríguez.

Nine European bison now graze in El Recuenco, a municipality within Spain’s Alto Tajo region of Guadalajara. The animals arrived four months ago as part of a reintroduction project—the first of its kind in Spain involving public land. Mayor Enrique Collada initiated the project after learning about Rewilding Spain’s renaturalization efforts, recognizing the bison’s ability to consume large amounts of biomass across more than 20,000 hectares.

The bison’s presence is already attracting ecotourists and has spurred investment in a landscape hotel and ecological resort. Rewilding Spain, collaborating with universities in Spain, the UK, and Denmark, is monitoring the bison’s health, stress levels, and nutritional intake through hormone and fecal analysis. The species nearly went extinct in the 20th century, dwindling to just 12 individuals but now numbering roughly 8,800.

Researchers hope the bison will reproduce as successfully as Przewalski’s horses already reintroduced to the area, though further study is needed to fully understand the long-term ecological effects of their grazing habits.