Wisent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wisent |
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| Bison bonasus (Linnaeus, 1758)
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The wisent (also called the European bison) is a large animal that looks a lot like the American bison. It's the heaviest land animal still living in Europe today! Its scientific name is Bison bonasus.
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What Does a Wisent Look Like?
Wisent are tall and strong, but not as bulky as their American cousins. They can stand about 54 to 60 inches (137–152 cm) tall at the shoulder. That's taller than most grown-ups! They can also weigh over 1 ton (900 kg), which is like a small car.
Wisent Features
Wisent have brown hair and short horns that curve upwards. Their fur isn't as shaggy as the American bison's, and the hump on their back is smaller.
Wisent Life and Reproduction
In the wild, wisent live in forests. They eat leaves, ferns, and even bark from trees.
How Wisent Babies Are Born
Female wisent are pregnant for about 9 to 10 months. After this time, they usually give birth to one baby calf.
The History of Wisent
Long, long ago, wisent were found all over Europe. There were huge numbers of them, even before the early Christian era.
Why Wisent Almost Disappeared
Over time, people hunted wisent for their meat. Farmers also took over the wisent's forest homes. By the 11th century, there were only a few hundred wisent left. The situation became very serious, and by 1927, fewer than 50 wisent were left in the whole world!
Bringing Wisent Back
Luckily, people decided to help. An international group was started in 1932 to protect them. Thanks to these efforts, the number of wisent has been growing. Today, you can find them in zoos and special forest reserves, but not roaming freely everywhere like they used to.
Images for kids
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Side view of a European bison bull
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A bison bull showing its tongue
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A picture from 1889 of the now-extinct Caucasian subspecies
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Bison drawn on the walls of the Altamira cave
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Scientists think the wisent might be a mix of steppe bison and aurochs.
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Adult female wisent with their calves
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Skulls of a European bison (left) and an American bison (right)
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Wisent in the Valchi Dol reserve in Bulgaria
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A European bison reserve in Spain, where they are helping to bring wisent back to the wild.
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Bison sparring in Russia
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A monument to the wisent in Hajnówka
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See also
In Spanish: Bisonte europeo para niños
