Wildlife park welcomes two young bison to Kent

Two young bison bulls are settling into their new surroundings in Kent.

The half-brothers, aged 16 months and 19 months, have been relocated from Scotland to the Wildwood Trust, near Herne Bay.

They have taken up residence in an enclosure once inhabited by Haydes and Orsk, who both died last year.

Wildwood is a partner in the Blean Bison Project, near Canterbury, in which another herd of bison is being used to naturally manage habitat.

The trust said the bison are "ecosystem engineers" that help teach people about the impact keystone species can have on their habitat.

Wildwood’s director of zoological operations Mark Habben said: “We have a long history of bison at Wildwood.

“We had Orsk and Haydes which were our real elderly gentlemen, who are sadly no longer with us.

"But that baton was very firmly handed to these two young bulls."

Jon Forde, the trust's head of hoofstock, said: “The two bison are setting in really really well.

"They’re about half the size that they should go to, so they’ve got a little bit bit of growing to do with us, but they’re eating really well and they’re enjoying their environment.”

The two new arrivals, as yet unnamed, will not be joining their counterparts at Blean, where the herd size increased to five with the birth of a new calf just before Christmas 2023.

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