Reintroduction of European Bison in Azerbaijan | IUCN Contributions for Nature Platform

In 2019, in collaboration with Shahdag National Park, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and WWF Azerbaijan, IDEA launched a project to reintroduce European bison in Azerbaijan. The aim is to restore the South Caucasus’ historic population of this species, also known as the wisent, which had long thrived in this area until being hunted to extinction in the early 20th century. The reintroduction area covers 305 hectares within the Shahdag National Park in the Ismayilli district. First, a bison reintroduction centre was constructed at the site in 2017 to help the bison safely adapt to the area. Then, in 2019 the first 12 European bison were brought over from zoos in Germany, France and Belgium, with more having arrived since then. After a two-year acclimatisation period the bison are released to bolster the free-roaming population. Some of them are fitted with a GPS collar to monitor their movements and behaviour, and gather data on their lifestyle. The project aims to establish a stable founder population of at least 100 European bison by 2028. As of September 2024 it numbers 66. In such a way, Shahdag National Park is becoming the first location in the South Caucasus where European bison roam freely again following extinction.