European Bison, Skansen

I had never seen European bison (also known as Wisent) before encountering them in this enclosure at Skansen park in Stockholm.  I was certainly very familiar with American Bison (often called buffalo over here), which once covered the North American plains before almost being hunted to extinction (but now have made a nice comeback).  I was curious to know how the types differed.

Like their American counterparts, the European bison were once quite widespread, but their numbers and range have been markedly reduced and they were also almost hunted to extinction.  There are only a few found in north central Europe, outside of zoo exhibits.  The bison is the heaviest land animal in Europe.  While European bison are no longer found roaming free in most of Europe, this exhibit is likely part of a captive breeding program to increase their numbers.

There are a few mostly subtle differences between European and American bison.  The Europeans tend to be taller because of longer legs, while the Americans tend to be stockier and more heavily built.  American bison tend to hairier and have their nose lower on their face.  There are subtle differences in the horn and bone structure between the two types — for example, American bison have 15 sets of ribs, while the Europeans have 14 pairs.  To be honest, except for their geographic location I would have a hard time telling them apart.

To provide a visual contrast between the species, I’m including a photo below taken in western Alberta of an American bison.