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Species reintroductions, an increasingly used measure in conservation, may be imposed, hindered, or conditioned by law. The European bison ( Bison bonasus ), once extinct in the wild, now lives in several free-ranging populations all stemming from reintroductions. Reintroduction of European bison to Sweden has been proposed and advocated. Zooarchaeological findings indicate that wild European bison existed in Sweden 11,200-9,500 years before present. Here we address and apply the relevant legal prerequisites for a reintroduction of European bison to Sweden. Applying international, European Union, and national Swedish law, we first show that there is no strict obligation for Sweden to reintroduce European bison. The responsible authority has considerable discretion in whether to allow a reintroduction of European bison. Rules on species protection, site protection, animal health, and animal welfare set conditions for how a reintroduction process should be implemented. Unclear legal rules on compensation and civil liability for damages caused by European bison create uncertainties about financial risks. Finally, the European bison is a protected species under the EU Habitats Directive, which further limits management options after reintroduction. Our assessment shows how law influences the feasibility of a reintroduction of a protected animal species to an EU Member State.

This Comment builds on Nores et al. by highlighting an overlooked dimension of the proposed European bison introduction in the Iberian Peninsula: the risks posed by roads to both wildlife and human safety. Drawing on evidence from Central and Eastern Europe, we show that traffic‐related mortality can be significant even in well‐managed bison populations. We argue that any rewilding initiative in Iberia must explicitly account for these risks, which challenge both the ecological and social feasibility of such projects.

Lungworms of the genus Dictyocaulus Railliet and Henry, 1907 (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) are the causative agents of parasitic bronchitis (dictyocaulosis, husk) of various ungulate hosts, including domestic and wild ruminants. Correct diagnosis of lungworm species and a better understanding of the transmission patterns of Dictyocaulus spp. are crucial in minimising the risk of its cross transmission between wildlife and livestock, and for the control of dictyocaulosis. The study was conducted on large lungworms collected from European bison, roe deer and red deer. The study resulted in 14 sequences of the partial cox1 region of Dictyocaulus spp. and 10 novel DNA sequences of partial cox3 region, including the first available mt cox3 sequence, of the roe deer lungworm (D. capreolus). The European bison was infected with bison genotype of D. viviparus, whereas red deer and roe deer were infected with D. cervi and D. capreolus respectively. The current study revealed that the cox3 nucleotide sequences of D. capreolus and D. viviparus were 100% homologous to each other. Our findings indicate that the mt cox3 gene does not serve as an efficient mt marker for systematic, population genetic or molecular epidemiological studies of Dictyocaulus lungworms.

Dictyocaulosis (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) is a widespread parasitosis of the European bison ( Bison bonasus ) inhabiting Bialowieza Primeval Forest. Bearing in mind the current coexistence of bison with wild cervids, and with domestic ruminants in the 19 th and 20 th century, the need arose for molecular identification of lungworm species. Molecular analysis was done on adult lungworms that were obtained from the respiratory track of four free-roaming bison euthanized as a part of the population health control program. As the result of the study four identical small subunit-ribosomal RNA gene sequences from the lungworms were obtained and deposited in GenBank as sequence, 1708 bp long (GenBank KC771250). Comparative analysis of the SSU rRNA sequences revealed the European bison to be a host for the bovine lungworm Dictyocaulus viviparus .

Background Our recent macro- and scanning electron microscopic study of tongue conducted on domesticated cattle, wild living European bison, and Bison bonasus hybrid revealed various spatial arrangement and number of gustatory and mechanical papillae between parental species and their hybrid. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy analysis of gustatory papillae indicated the variable distribution of fungiform papillae (Fu) over the surface of the tongue, which could be significant in differentiated taste perception during feeding in studied wild living and domesticated husbandry ruminants. To specify the detailed microstructure of Fu papillae with connective tissue cores (CTC) and intraepithelial taste buds system, the first time the three-dimensional computer-aided analysis of serial histoslides resulted in the rendering of 3D reconstructions of Fu papillae. Results The comparative analysis of 3D models Fu papillae conducted in six areas of lingual mucosa of each tongue revealed information about, microstructural diversity of Fu papillae in studied ruminants. The estimation of number and density of Fu papillae on tongues, rate of protrusion of papillae over mucosa, and a number of taste buds per papilla allowed to state the ventral surface of the lingual apex and posterolateral surfaces of the lingual torus as regions important in taste perception, as in the preselection of taken food, as well in the analysis of food during rumination, respectively. On the 3D models were observed three structural types of CTC of different distribution on the tongue in studied species. The quantitative data of the number of taste buds on Fu papillae have regional functional differences in the taste system important in feeding and veterinary practice. Moreover, our analysis determined specific features in examined hybrid and showed similarities of some studied features with cattle, i.e., maternal species. Conclusions The 3D reconstruction method used for the first time in the field of study of the lingual papillae and taste buds system can be considered as an innovative and effective tool in assessing of the microstructures of Fu papillae, and it could be suitable for further studies of taste system structures in normal and pathological condition.

Posthitis is an incurable lethal disease of males of the European bison ( Bison bonasus ), regarded to be one of the major threats to the survival of the iconic species. Multiple attempts have been undertaken over the last 30 years to identify a source of infection and a primary pathogen. Studies indicated the disease could have a genetic background after tools developed for cattle ( Bos taurus ) revealed genomic regions that could be associated with its occurrence. In this study, we applied deep coverage targeted sequencing to 74 regions on 10 of the bison’s chromosomes (1, 9, 12, 13, 15, 23, 25, 26, 29, and X) in search for species-specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers that could help to explain the mechanism of the disease and be used to test for posthitis susceptibility. The association results were ranked based on p -values lower than 0.005 and odds ratios (OR) higher than 1. We obtained 30 SNP markers that met these requirements, all located on chromosome 25. However, none of the SNPs found in the study was significantly associated with posthitis occurrence after Bonferroni correction. The conditional nature of posthitis and ‘false negative’ sampling represent major difficulties in investigating this disease, and we recommend a complex genomic and environmental factors association assay that could eventually explain the puzzling etiology of posthitis and help mitigate this threat to the European bison.

The main aim of the study was to assess the attitudes of communities in northeastern Poland to the European bison Bison bonasus. Four forest complexes were analyzed: two sites to which animals will be reintroduced in the near future (Augustowska and Romincka forests) and two sites where European bison subpopulations already exist (Knyszyńska and Borecka forests). We also analyzed the factors affecting these attitudes. The survey was based on direct interviews with respondents, and answers were transformed onto a 7-point Likert scale. The results showed that respondents living in areas where reintroduction is planned had more negative attitudes than those living in the vicinity of forest complexes where European bison already lives. The difference was probably a result of myths about the E. bison and crop damage by wildlife. We conclude that proper management of the European bison may lead to higher societal acceptance levels, especially among farmers. Moreover, management and acceptance of the wisent could also influence attitudes to state forests. Negative attitudes to the E. bison can be minimized by workshops that can clarify underlying issues and increase trust towards conservation authorities. The workshops should be aimed at farmers with larger farms and more towards women than men.

Coronaviruses have been confirmed to infect a variety of species, but only one case of associated winter dysentery of European bison has been described. The study aimed to analyze the prevalence, and define the impact on the species conservation, the source of coronavirus infection, and the role of the European bison in the transmission of the pathogen in Poland. Molecular and serological screening was performed on 409 European bison from 6 free-ranging and 14 captive herds over the period of 6 years (2017–2023). Presence of coronavirus was confirmed in one nasal swab by pancoronavirus RT-PCR and in 3 nasal swab samples by bovine coronavirus (BCoV) specific real time RT-PCR. The detected virus showed high (> 98%) homology in both RdRp and Spike genes to BCoV strains characterised recently in Polish cattle and strains isolated from wild cervids in Italy. Antibodies specific to BCoV were found in 6.4% of tested samples, all originating from free-ranging animals. Seroprevalence was higher in adult animals over 5 years of age ( p  = 0.0015) and in females ( p  = 0.09). Our results suggest that European bison play only a limited role as reservoirs of bovine-like coronaviruses. Although the most probable source of infections in the European bison population in Poland is cattle, other wild ruminants could also be involved. In addition, the zoonotic potential of bovine coronaviruses is quite low.

In recent years, bovine tuberculosis (BTB) has become one of the major health hazards facing the European bison (EB, Bison bonasus), a vulnerable species that requires active protection, including regular and effective health monitoring. Monitoring of zoonotic disease in wildlife is also an important part of public health protection. The aim of the study was to determine whether BTB still influences the EB population in Poland. During 2017-2019, mandibular, retropharyngeal and mediastinal lymph nodes were collected from 90 EB during post-mortem examination, and then cultivated on Lowenstein-Jensen and Stonebrink media. Isolated strains were subjected to molecular analysis to determine the species, spoligotype and MIRU-VNTR pattern. Lesions were found in lymph nodes originating from eight EB (8.89%). Positive microbiological cultures for mycobacteria were obtained in samples from six (6.67%) EB. The isolated strains were identified as Mycobacterium caprae (material from four EB) and atypical mycobacteria (material from two EB). For M. caprae strains spoligotype M. bovis 4_CA 1600 was identified and the MIRU-VNTR pattern was identified as 345751355413232. It is recommended that this potentially dangerous disease should be monitored in EB via a comprehensive strategy based on a combination of microbiological and molecular methods. Such monitoring will protect the health of both animals and humans.

Habitat loss threatens large mammals worldwide, and their survival will depend on habitat in human-dominated landscapes. Conservation planners thus face the challenge to identify areas of least conflict with land use, yet broadscale species distribution models rarely incorporate real landscape patterns nor do they identify potential conservation conflicts. An excellent example of such conservation challenges is provided by European bison (Bison bonasus). Almost extinct by the early 20th century, bison can only survive in the wild if large metapopulations are established, but it is unclear where new herds can be reintroduced. Using European bison as an example we conducted a continental-scale habitat assessment based on real landscape patterns. Our specific aims here were to (1) map European bison habitat throughout the species' former range, (2) examine whether broadscale habitat suitability factors differ from previously reported fine-scale factors, and (3) assess where suitable habitat occurs in areas with low potential for conflict with land use. We assessed habitat suitability using herd range maps for all 36 free-ranging European bison herds as habitat use data. Habitat suitability maps were compared with maps of land cover, livestock density, agricultural constraints, and protected areas to assess potential conservation conflicts. Our models had high goodness of fit (AUC = 0.941), and we found abundant potential bison habitat. European bison prefer mosaic-type landscapes, with a preference for broad-leaved and mixed forests. European bison metapopulations do not appear to be limited by habitat availability. However, most potential habitat occurred outside protected areas and has substantial potential for conservation conflicts. The most promising areas for establishing large bison metapopulations all occur in Eastern Europe (i.e., the Carpathians, the BelarusUkraine borderlands, and several regions in European Russia). The future of European bison and that of other large mammals in the wild thus clearly lies in Eastern Europe, because habitat there is most abundant and least fragmented, and because the potential for conflict with land use is lower. More generally we suggest that broadscale habitat assessments that incorporate land use can be powerful tools for conservation planning and will be key if large herbivore and carnivore conservation is to succeed in a human-dominated world.