Large Animals Make a Comeback (Thanks to Conservation Efforts!)

Across Europe, large animal populations are on the rise, including the European bison, following more than five decades of successful conservation efforts to favor the species and their natural habitat alike.

Today, there are 2,500 European bison across the continent which is 30 times more than the number of individuals in 1960 thanks to breeding and reintroduction programs. In fact, the population of many species once on the brink of extinction such as the Brown bear and elk is increasing.

The Zoological Society of London, Birdlife International, and Rewilding Europe shared a report showing to what extent populations have been restored through conservation efforts, mainly focused on halting activities that are killing animals, but also on effective protection against hunting, overexploitation, and the destruction of habitats. The Brown bear’s population has doubled, the Eurasian elk have tripled, the red deer have increased five-fold, and the number of Eurasian beaver has increased 140-fold, going from a few thousand in 1950 to more than 330,000 today.