New Swiss location deemed viable for establishing European bison
The landscape around Welschenrohr in the Swiss canton of Solothurn generally offers suitable living conditions for bison. This is the conclusion reached by the Wisent Thal association in a report. The trial period involving animals in an enclosure lasted four years.
The original test herd of five animals arrived at Sollmatt near Welschenrohr in September 2022. There were regular births and the herd grew to 14 animals by this summer, according to the final report published on Friday by the Wisent Thal Association.
The wisents – European bison – remained in good health throughout and developed a stable social structure. The animals made use of both the woodland and the open countryside.
The trial phase also clarified issues relating to monitoring, management, prevention and coexistence with humans. However, the report states that it is not yet possible to make a definitive statement on the long-term ecological, economic and social viability of a large-scale or free-roaming European bison herd, given the conditions in the enclosure to date. This would require experience under significantly larger-scale and more natural conditions.
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Impacts on forests and agriculture
In the forest, the researchers involved reported that they did not observe any increased browsing damage to young trees. However, 9% of the trees examined showed signs of bark stripping. On the grazed meadows, yield fell by around 20%. Simple electric fences effectively protected neighbouring arable land from damage.
The enclosure remained freely accessible to the public throughout the trial period. Around 5,200 people took part in guided tours between March 2023 and last August, the association notes. There were no instances of direct physical contact. However, the animals triggered 15 mock attacks when people came too close. At the end of August, a ranger was injured after approaching too close to the bull.
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