A Return to the Wild Is Quietly Transforming an Entire Landscape

Reintroduced European bison in Romania’s Tarcu Mountains are boosting plant life by around 30%, showing how restoring wildlife can rapidly revive damaged ecosystems.

“These animals act as climate allies by keeping carbon locked in the ground instead of letting it drift into the air,” researchers involved in the project explain.

After being extinct in the wild for nearly a century, European bison have been reintroduced since 2014, with more than 200 now roaming freely in the region and over 350 across Romania. Their natural behaviours — grazing, trampling, and seed dispersal — have increased both plant biomass and diversity, creating richer, mixed habitats that support more insects, birds, and small mammals. Scientists estimate that a herd of around 170 bison across roughly 48 square kilometres helps soils capture about 54,000 tons of carbon annually, nearly ten times more than similar areas without bison. The project is now seen as a real-world model for rewilding across Europe, demonstrating how bringing back large animals can restore biodiversity, strengthen ecosystems, and even create new economic opportunities through nature tourism.