Two young aurochs have left European Serengeti for the large herbivore reserve on the Czech-Polish border
Two young back-bred aurochs bulls left the European Serengeti large herbivore reserve. Their destination is the reserve in Krnov in the Moravian-Silesian Region, where they will join a group of two aurochs and three wild horses naturally maintaining valuable expanses at the site by grazing.
“The reserve near the town of Krnov covers a significantly larger area than is appropriate for the present number of large ungulates. That’s why we will be gradually increasing the animal numbers in cooperation with the town council, which founded and manages the reserve. The most recent transport of the two young aurochs is the first step in this direction. In the future, the local herd of wild horses should be expanded as well,” said Dalibor Dostal, director of the conservation organisation European Wildlife, which founded the large herbivore reserve called European Serengeti in cooperation with scientists in 2015.
The reserve near the town of Krnov was set up in 2022, when two aurochs bulls arrived at the site. A year later, in 2023, three wild horses joined them.
The task of large ungulates near Krnov is to restore, by grazing, the area of the former military training grounds, which is a naturally valuable site of extraordinary importance. Protected plants and animals including the fringed pink and several orchid species as well as the white admiral, a butterfly, and the northern crested newt, an amphibian, are found there.
The European Serengeti became the first place in the world where all three key species of large ungulates of Europe, i.e. European bison, wild horse and back-bred aurochs, are found in one reserve for the first time. The grazing of wild ungulates, unlike intensive breeding groups of farm animals, contributes to the countryside adapting to climate changes and to carbon storage in soil. According to scientific studies, natural grazing ecosystems all over the world retain up to 50% more carbon than all the forests on the planet.
The European Serengeti became the first place in the world where all three key species of large ungulates of Europe, i.e. European bison, wild horse and back-bred aurochs, are found in one reserve for the first time. The grazing of wild ungulates, unlike intensive breeding groups of farm animals, contributes to the countryside adapting to climate changes and to carbon storage in soil. According to scientific studies, natural grazing ecosystems all over the world retain up to 50% more carbon than all the forests on the planet.
Photo: Michal Köpping
