Belarus Is Home to 24% of the World’s European Bison Population

Belarus is home to 24% of the world’s European bison population. According to the National Park Belavezhskaya Pushcha, a new edition of the European bison pedigree book has been published. It contains data on the global population of the species.

According to the book, as of 31 December 2024 there were 12,209 European bison worldwide. Of these, 9,762 lived in the wild, 1,725 were kept in enclosures, and 722 were in semi-wild conditions.

“The Russian Federation has taken first place in European bison numbers with 3,073 animals (25.2% of the global population). The Republic of Belarus has 2,927 European bison (24.0%), the Republic of Poland – 3,060 (25.1%), Germany – 643 (5.3%), Ukraine – 480 (3.9%), Romania – 451 (3.7%), and Lithuania – 339 (2.8%),” the National Park said.

Over the year, the global European bison population increased by 1,029 animals, or 8.4%.

In Belarus, the largest European bison populations live in the following areas:

• National Park Belavezhskaya Pushcha – 726
• HOLHU Asipovichy Experimental Forestry – 680
• Agricultural Production Cooperative Oziory of Hrodna District – 529
• Krasny Bor Hunting Estate – 348
• Polesie Radiation and Ecological Reserve – 212
• Naliboki Landscape Reserve – 130
• Prypiatski National Park – 124

In other countries, the largest populations are the Central Russian population in the Russian Federation (1,503 animals), the population in the Polish part of Belavezhskaya Pushcha (870), as well as the herds in Poland’s Bieszczady Mountains (764) and the Knyszyn Forest (562).