Offspring of Europe's largest wild cattle
Oberrabenstein game reserve: female bison calf born
On 2 May, animal keepers discovered a female calf in the bison enclosure of the Oberrabenstein wildlife park. The mother is seven-year-old "Pronka" and the father is four-year-old "Spakko", who has only been living in the enclosure since last summer. The bison rut usually takes place from August to October and a calf is born after around nine months.
Bison have been kept and bred at Chemnitz Zoo and Oberrabenstein Wildlife Park since the 1980s. All bison born in the wildlife park have the initial letters "Or" for Oberrabenstein in their names. The youngest offspring was given the name "Oriana" by the keepers.
Bison are the largest European land mammals. Bulls can weigh up to 1000 kilograms and cows can reach a weight of 600 kilograms. After the extinction of the aurochs, they are the only surviving wild cattle in Europe. However, bison are not closely related to domestic cattle, whose ancestor was the aurochs. They are closest to the American bison. For this reason, bison are also referred to as European bison.
In the first half of the 20th century, bison were on the brink of extinction. However, thanks to the joint efforts of zoological institutions and a few private owners, they were saved and later even reintroduced in various countries.
Today, there are more than 8,000 animals again, a third of which live in zoos and wildlife parks. Chemnitz Zoo has already transferred three bison cows from the wild enclosure to a reintroduction project in the Caucasus.
Opening hours in summer
Animal parks: 9 am to 7 pm, last admission 6 pm
Wildlife park: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., last admission 5 p.m.