Birth of the first bison calf in the Solothurn Jura
The herd of bison from the Langenberg zoo, which have been living in semi-freedom in the canton of Solothurn since last year, have had offspring.
On the night of July 4th, the first bison calf was born in Welschenrohr as part of the "Wisent Thal" project. It is the very first bison birth in the Solothurn Jura for around 1000 years.
A herd of bison has been living on the Sollmatt in Welschenrohr since fall 2022. The 50-hectare enclosure is open to the public. The animals come from the Zurich Wilderness Park, which supports the "Wisent Thal" project as a partner.
The herd consists of a four-year-old bull, three cows aged between four and six years, a calf from last year and now a calf from this year - a female.
The aim of the "Wisent Thal" project is to use a bison test herd in a large area to investigate whether the bison, which was wiped out in the Middle Ages, is sustainable as a wild animal in the Jura today. The trial in the enclosure will last five years. The test site belongs to the municipality of Solothurn and the farmer and bison ranger Benjamin Brunner and is fenced off for the duration of the trial. It will continue to be used for agriculture and forestry during the project and public access will not be restricted.
Cows protect their calves
It is currently particularly important for visitors to the area to observe the rules of conduct. Bison are generally very shy and gentle animals. However, if they are provoked or prevented from protecting their young, they can become dangerous, just like other cattle. For this reason, you should keep a large distance of over 50 meters from the bison and especially from the calf. This also gives the bison herd and the calf the peace and quiet they need. Dogs may only be taken into the enclosure on a short lead and at an appropriate distance.
Due to the vastness of the enclosure and the high proportion of woodland, it is increasingly difficult to scout out and observe the animals on your own. We therefore recommend taking part in guided tours. These tours are led by bison ranger Benjamin Brunner and trained bison guides and can be booked through the Thal Nature Park(www.naturparkthal.ch/wisent).
