Bison calves at the Oberrabenstein game reserve
Mother “Onia” and her female calf are doing well. The father is the bison bull “Spakko”. The bison rutting season usually falls between August and October. After a gestation period of around nine months, a single calf is usually born.
In keeping with International Day of Light (on 16 May), the calf was named “Ora”. The name comes from Hebrew and means “the light” or “the luminous one”.
All bison born at the Oberrabenstein wildlife enclosure have the initials “Or” in their names – a reference to their place of birth. This system is part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), in which numerous zoological institutions participate. Each institution uses its own naming codes for its offspring.
The herd at the Oberrabenstein game reserve currently consists of five animals; another calf may still be on the way for one of the bison cows.
Eurasian bison are the largest European land mammals. Adult bulls can weigh up to 1,000 kilograms, whilst cows can weigh up to 600 kilograms.
Following the extinction of the aurochs, European bison are the only wild cattle still living in Europe today. However, they are not closely related to domestic cattle – their closest relatives are the American bison. This is why the European bison is also known as the European bison.
In the first half of the 20th century, the European bison was considered virtually extinct. It was only through the collaboration of zoological institutions and dedicated private owners that the species could be preserved. Today, there are once again more than 8,000 animals worldwide, about a third of them in zoos and wildlife parks. The Oberrabenstein wildlife enclosure has also been making an important contribution to the conservation of the species for many years.
Animals from Oberrabenstein have been provided on several occasions for reintroduction projects – including a reintroduction project in the Caucasus.
Opening hours April to September:
daily 9 am to 6 pm