A female European bison has been born at the Zoobotanical of Jerez, raising significant discussions about the species' role in conservation efforts across Europe. This species, listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, has seen its population grow from 2,400 to 11,000 in the past 14 years. However, a recent study published in the Society for Conservation Biology questions the effectiveness of introducing the European bison into Spain.
Researchers argue that the European bison does not restore any lost habitats in Spain and cannot effectively contribute to climate change mitigation or forest fire prevention compared to existing native herbivores. The study, led by Carlos Nores from the University of Oviedo, emphasizes that the introduction of this species has been marketed as a nature restoration project, which it fails to achieve.
Moreover, the study highlights that there is no evidence of the European bison ever inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula, making its introduction potentially illegal. The researchers assert that the bison, native to Eastern Europe, may not survive in Spain's warm and arid climate without human assistance, which has led to numerous failed acclimatization attempts.
Currently, the main populations of bison in Spain are located in regions like Sierra de Andújar, Extremadura, and Castilla-La Mancha, where summer temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius. The study concludes that due to ecological, bioclimatic, legal, and ethical reasons, the introduction of the European bison in Spain exceeds reasonable rewilding limits.
Experts accuse proponents of the introduction of using half-truths and unproven assumptions to justify their plans, capitalizing on the bison's iconic status to create a narrative of restoring an extinct Iberian fauna and rescuing a threatened species.