Decade-long rewilding efforts mark a milestone for Europe’s largest land mammal

In the remote wilderness of Romania’s Țarcu Mountains, a rare and heartening sight has emerged: newborn European bison babies roaming freely through the forest alongside their mothers. Spotted by WWF ranger Matei Miculescu, the wild-born calves are a powerful symbol of nature’s resilience – and a sign that a decade of dedicated rewilding efforts is beginning to pay off.

Once extinct in the wild across much of Europe, the European bison is now making a slow but steady return to the Southern Carpathians, where the species had disappeared more than 200 years ago. The recent births mark a major milestone in the long-term programme led by WWF and Rewilding Europe, with the support of local communities, to restore one of the continent’s most iconic species to its rightful place in the landscape. 

“These calves are living proof that when nature is given space, protection, and time, it can thrive,” says Matei Miculescu, who first spotted the newborns in the wild.

Backed by local communities, conservationists, and international support, the initiative is helping to breathe life back into one of Europe’s last truly wild regions. But the return of the bison is not just a story of species survival – it is also a story of ecological restoration.

Often referred to as “architects of the forest,” bison shape their surroundings in ways that benefit a wide range of wildlife. Their grazing patterns create a patchwork of open spaces, scrub, and forest, supporting biodiversity-rich habitats. As they forage, trample vegetation, and fertilize the land, they enable the regeneration of both grasslands and forests, helping other plant and animal species to flourish.

The ecological benefits are matched by social ones. As bison return to the region, local communities are seeing new opportunities in nature-based tourism and sustainable development – a reminder that rewilding can support both people and the planet.