Returning home from work, a resident of Rucava, Daiga, noticed a herd of bison on a forest road in Eči, in the South Kurzeme region, and filmed it. At first, the animals were on the road, but upon the approach of the vehicle, they quickly fled into the forest.
The World Wildlife Fund informed the portal "tv3.lv" that this is the only herd of wild bison in Latvia, which has been living outside the meadows of Pape for almost 20 years.
Daiga's video is published without sound; however, in the original version, the author's comments can be heard, indicating that a face-to-face encounter with the huge herbivores evokes admiration and awe. Previously, Daiga had only seen the herd of bison once — when the animals were grazing in a meadow. In a conversation with "tv3.lv," she suggested that the bison's habitat is in the Pape Nature Park, about eight kilometers from the filming location. "They crossed the Liepaja-Klaipeda highway," Daiga speculates.
<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1209853684593886%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>However, a representative of the World Wildlife Fund and ranger of the Pape Nature Park, Ints Mednis, refutes that the bison are permanent residents of the park. He points out that the herd has been living in the wild since 2007, when the animals escaped from the park, and attempts to catch and return them have been unsuccessful.
"It’s great to see how, early in the morning or late in the evening, a line of cars forms: people are filming and taking pictures. While we were trying to catch and drive the bison, they were almost impossible to see because they perceived humans as enemies. Now there’s no reason to be afraid; they no longer consider people dangerous."
The animals that escaped from the Pape Nature Park are European bison (Bison bonasus). The largest herbivores in Europe and relatives of the American bison, they were nearly completely exterminated in Poland, in the Bialowieza Forest, and their numbers have gradually increased from a few dozen to about 5,000 over the past 70 years. In Latvia, the bison were last observed in the wild during the Middle Ages, but until the 19th century, they were kept in enclosed areas.
In Latvia, a herd of about 14 individuals inhabits the southern Kurzeme region. Mednis personally monitors the movements of the bison as much as possible. For example, the video shows that two young individuals have joined the herd. "At first, when they escaped, there were seven. You could say that two are added each year," Mednis estimates.
"We don’t know what happens in the forests. Bison can be seen in autumn and winter; possibly, individual animals from Lithuania join the herd, as there is a regional nature park near the border where bison have been regularly released into the wild since the 1990s," Mednis clarified.
The main enemy of bison in Latvia is not predators like wolves, bears, or golden jackals. Their survival depends more on the availability of food and obstacles created by humans.
"Sometimes they fall into ditches, into marshy areas, and, of course, motor vehicles pose a danger. Other factors affecting these animals include diseases and other natural conditions," Mednis explained.
Evaluating the video and his own observations, Mednis generally believes that the animals are doing well in the wild in Latvia. Occasionally, the herd splits up, but in winter they always stay together. Young bulls may seek new territories. However, Mednis also predicts that there will never be hundreds of bison in Latvia, but as long as cows give birth to calves, the chance of survival remains.
