Rangers to the rescue: trapped bison calf released in the Țarcu Mountains
For the rangers in the Țarcu Mountains the new year began with some excitement when they discovered a young bison trapped in some wire near the village of Rusca – this was probably left by a poacher. Born to parents reintroduced to the area through the LIFE Bison project, the calf was less than a year old. Thanks to some exemplary mobilisation, the cub was freed after just a few hours and returned to his mother, who was nearby together with five other bison.
The calf was found at around 2pm by the WWF Romania rangers @Danu and @Matei, who were monitoring bison activity in the field. They immediately informed the police, the local environmental office and the hunting administration. Under police supervision, the veterinary @ciprian hodor tranquilised the calf and the team were able to release it. Blood samples were taken before the release – these will be sent to the Senckenburg Nature Museum in Frankfurt for DNA testing.
Overall the rescue operation lasted no more than four hours, and by early evening the youngster was awake again and in the company of fellow bison. Our rangers are also patrolling the area today to check on the wellbeing of the calf and the group.
With possible poaching suspected, the local police department will open a criminal file to investigate the incident.
