Environmentalists protest hunting bison plan in Poland

[TomSea]

Environmentalists protest hunting bison plan in Poland

FILE - In this March 16, 2010 file photo bison are pictured at a reserve in the Bialowieza forest, in Bialowieza, eastern Poland. Environmentalists are protesting plans by the authorities to allow hunters to kill 10 bison in the Borecka forest saying the protected animals should be allowed to die of natural causes. Greenpeace had gathered well over 7,000 signatures by Monday afternoon, Jan. 2, 2017, on a letter asking Prime Minister Beata Szydlo to stop the plan.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Environmentalists are protesting Poland's plan to allow hunters to shoot bison, while authorities say it is necessary for the well-being of the oversized herd and will earn money for its upkeep.

Greenpeace had gathered almost 9,000 signatures online by Monday afternoon on a letter asking Prime Minister Beata Szydlo to stop the plan. The opponents say Europe's largest mammals, which live in old-growth forests in northeastern Poland, are endangered and protected by law, and a symbol of Poland's nature.

There are over 1,500 bison in Poland, mostly living freely in state-owned reserves but also on private farms. The bulls can weigh over 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds) and stand some 1.9 meters (6.2 feet) tall.

Read More At: http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Environmentalists-protest-hunting-bison-plan-in-10830601.php

I plead ignorance, I had no idea such animals native to Europe existed, one learns something new every day.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

I plead ignorance, I had no idea such animals native to Europe existed, one learns something new every day.

Same here. I had assumed they were a new world critter.

[thackney]

I plead ignorance, I had no idea such animals native to Europe existed, one learns something new every day.

European bison went extinct in the wild in 1919, but now a few thousand are back, grazing in forests and on plains in a handful of countries. The first four of a group of 11 animals—Europe's largest living land animal—were reintroduced into state forest land in the Netherlands earlier this month.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/160323-european-bison-reintroduced-netherlands-rewilding-science/

[TomSea]

@thackney

Thanks for the info. Very helpful.