Sangha of Auspicious Companions

A Century After Vanishing, a Gentle Giant Returns

A century after the last wild European bison was shot in the Carpathian Mountains, these gentle giants are returning home, and with them, the land itself is coming back to life. Through patient work with local communities, conservationists have reintroduced over 100 bison to Romania’s Tarcu Mountains, where they now graze on young trees to create meadows and disperse undigested seeds across vast territories, increasing floral biodiversity and supporting pollinators. As they wallow in the mud, their massive weight helps to compact the soil and increase its carbon-holding capacity. In addition to these gifts, there are, naturally, also some adjustments: bison wander into apple orchards, locals call a “bison hotline” unsure what to do when they encounter the intimidating creatures, and the work of building trust requires everything from training mountain dogs to fencig large areas near habitations. Apples from orchards frequented by the bison command a higher price and spritzers made with these are popular in local taverns. Ranger Sebastian Ursuta reports proudly that more than half the bison population has now been born wild, with second-generation calves spotted in the forest. “To us, they offer hope that our rewilding efforts are beginning to pay off,” he says, a reminder that healing nature sometimes means making room for what was always meant to be there.

Be The Change

Today, notice something in your own landscape that was once abundant but has disappeared — perhaps a particular bird, wildflower, or tree species — and spend a few minutes researching what happened to it and whether anyone is working to bring it back.