About
The European bison is a large ruminant that prefers environments where grasslands and forests with open areas mix; it is notable for the shoulder hump and the horns present in both sexes. It feeds mainly on grasses and also supplements its diet with leaves, bark, and mosses, spending much of the day ruminating. It normally lives in matriarchal and bachelor groups, and during the breeding season males enter female groups and compete. Although it came close to extinction in the wild in the 20th century, numbers have tended to recover through conservation-led reintroductions; however, habitat fragmentation, low genetic diversity, and disease remain challenges to its continued survival.
