Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
MAJESTIC BISON TO ROAM CITY WOODS IN UK-FIRST
Nature lovers enjoying a woodland stroll on Canterbury’s outskirts will soon be treated to a glimpse of Europe’s biggest mammal.
Because wild bison will soon be introduced to West Blean Woods as part of a groundbreaking £1.1 million project dubbed the first of its kind in the UK.
The last wild European bison are thought to have been shot dead in Poland in 1919. By 1927, the only members of the species left were kept in captivity.
But the Wilder Blean project, led by the Wildwood Trust and Kent Wildlife Trust, will replicate efforts in Europe to reintroduce the beasts by bringing them to a 2,500-acre site to the west of Canterbury Road. Conservationists hope the initiative will boost the populations of other rare animals – such as bats and dormice – while also acting as an attraction for wildlife lovers across the world.
Kent Wildlife Trust ecologist Amanda Fegan told the Gazette: “Because it’s such a special pocket of ancient woodland, we want to make sure it’s protected.
“The majority of species in the UK are seeing really intense declines – it’s quite scary. The lack of sustainable woodland management is one of the eight biggest reasons for this. “The idea is, by introducing the bison, the animals around that are struggling – bats, dormice and insects – will be able to thrive. If we can show how this is done, we might have a solution to species decline.” Ms Fegan says none of the nearby public paths will be removed as a result of the work, insisting “there won’t be bison on footpaths”.
Walls with clear signs will be erected around the enclosure, preventing the bison from entering public areas from their fenced-off enclosure. However, viewing points will be dotted along the edge of the perimeter, giving passers-by the opportunity to safely observe the grazing animals.
The bison, which can weigh up to one tonne, are peaceful and are not considered a significant threat to humans. Bosses expect the project to begin in February 2022 with the introduction of three or four bison – the majority of which will be female – imported from Europe.
Ms Fegan hopes the 6ft creatures will be able to recreate the natural herd dynamics seen in the wild when they’re introduced to the secured enclosure behind Wildwood. “We’ll start small and really monitor it closely,” she continued.
“As the herd increases, we will monitor them and be careful that the population doesn’t get too big for the site, so they’re having the intended effect.
“It’s so hard to say how many we could have until we see how they interact with the habitat. We don’t have a fixed number in our heads; we’ll be led by making sure species thrive. “With them being a vulnerable species, we’d prefer to move a bison on to another project if we have too many. “Culling isn’t something that’s had to happen before on a project for size reasons – it would have to be an extreme circumstance where we’d resort to that.”
In recent years, the population of bison has increased thanks to successful wilding projects in France, Denmark, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.
The project aims to create the greatest plant and animal biodiversity possible, creating stronger habitats that will withstand environmental crisis and species decline and “hopefully reverse it”.
Bison are known as “ecosystem engineers” because of the way they improve their habitat for other animals even more effectively than traditional land management.
The animals push over trees by rubbing against them and eat bark, creating space for other creatures and plants to thrive.
“Having visited the Netherlands project, it’s hard to describe what it’s like because you stand in an incredible environment where everywhere you look it’s full of life,” Ms Fegan added. “It’s something you don’t always have access to in the UK and we want to make sure the local area has it.
“If this project proves to be amazing for the area – which we expect it to be – we’ll want to carry it on for as long as we can.”
The Wilder Blean project has been able to go ahead thanks to £1,125,000 awarded by the People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund.
Wildwood will also run supervised visits to the enclosure once the bison are bedded in to their new surroundings. The park’s director general, Paul Whitfield, said: “Once they’re settled we will be taking guided tours into the area. “We’re really
hoping that it’ll be a unique thing that will bring a lot of tourists into Kent. “There will be economic benefits to this kind of eco-tourism which will stretch to hotels and restaurants.
“The amount of interest we’ve already had is phenomenal – it’ll definitely draw people in.”
Mr Whitfield says the idea has been kicked around by local conservationists over the last 10 years.
But it was not until 18 months ago that it started to gather momentum.
“We formed a long-term strategic partnership with Kent Wildlife Trust to deliver ground-breaking conservation projects across Kent,” he explained.
“This is very much the first of those.”
He says the organisations are also planning to launch a scheme aimed at reintroducing chough birds to Dover. Wildwood already has two bison in the park itself, but Mr Whitfield stresses they are too used to being “fed and pampered” to be part of the project.