Into the wild – another milestone for Wilder Blean bison herd as they explore new woodland area in Canterbury

The Wilder Blean bison herd has now been released into a wider 50-hectare area of West Blean Woods.

  • Since their release in July the herd had been kept in a 5-hectare area, whilst they adjusted to a self-sufficient lifestyle

  • The Wilder Blean herd has now been released into a wider 50-hectare area of West Blean Woods

  • In September one of the bison gave birth to a calf, who is thriving in her new environment

  • Dog walkers are being asked to keep their pet on a lead when using West Blean and Thornden Woods nature reserve

The gates of West Blean Woods have now been fully opened to the UK’s first free-roaming bison. The herd was released into 5 hectares of the ancient Canterbury woodland back in July. 

This ‘soft-release’ allowed Bison Rangers, Tom Gibbs and Donovan Wright to observe the animals and ensure that they could fend for themselves and seek out food, water and shelter, as they had not had to source their own previously.

Bison Ranger Donovan Wright was on hand to capture the moment that the herd made their first steps into the 50 hectare area, later saying: “It was an incredible moment; the matriarch led the younger females into their new home, making a beeline for the sweet chestnut trees and tucking in right away.”

Tom Gibbs said: “They will now have more space to roam than they ever have before. We have already seen the amazing impact they have had on the smaller area, the changes they have made are encouraging other wildlife to flourish.”

Walkers in the area got a welcomed surprise when they became the first visitors to the woodland to see the herd in their natural environment. Donovan said: “It was not long after the bison had begun to explore their new home, that I had a chance meeting with some walkers visiting the Blean. They were so excited to catch a glimpse of these incredible creatures from the footpath and it is great to see how inspired people are by this project.

“We anticipate more people will now visit the woodland to try and see if they can spot the bison. We would ask anyone walking their dog to kindly keep it on a lead to prevent unsettling the herd.”

Now the bison are in the wider woodland, visitors are more likely to see them when walking the trails around the Blean or from a bespoke platform at Wildwood. The chances of seeing them are very small, however if people are patient, still, quiet and very lucky, it is a possibility. To adhere to UK legislation, two fences will separate the herd from the public at all times.

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Bison Ranger Tom added: “It is rewarding to work on a project that continues to capture the imagination of so many people across the globe. The Wilder Blean Project has been mentioned by Hollywood star, Leonardo DiCaprio and even been covered across the Atlantic by The Washington Post, this has resulted in people wanting to come and learn more about what we are doing here which is amazing.

“Whilst bison are fascinating, they have been brought to West Blean Woods for a very specific purpose. Known as eco-system engineers, they shape the habitat around them through their natural behaviours allowing light to reach the forest floor and encouraging wildlife to thrive.”

Next year, they will be joined by other keystone species when long-horn cattle, Exmoor ponies and iron-age pigs will be released into the area. They will all have their own unique natural impact on the woodland, which will help fight the biodiversity crisis.

The Wilder Blean Project, a ground-breaking initiative between the charities Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust, now moves forward into its next phase as plans have been submitted to create bison tunnels in the woodland. The tunnels will open-up a full 200 hectares of woodland to the herd, allowing them to be as wild as possible within the confines of UK legislation; well wishers can support the project via Just Giving.

In September the herd of three became four when one of the young females gave birth unexpectedly, in another milestone for the Wilder Blean Project, the first phase of which was supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery through Dream Fund 2020.

Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “We are delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised over 1 billion to support such great causes, including the restoration and conservation of our natural woodlands.

“Introducing bison to the UK woodland means, we are reversing the loss of biodiversity as the presence of the beasts boosts the return of other species into our woodlands.

 “We thank our wonderful players for raising £1.1 million for the Wilder Blean Project, which enabled the introduction of these amazing beasts as natural engineers of restoration. We hope the bison continue to adapt well into their new space, fending for themselves while boosting biodiversity, an innovative nature-led, long-term solution to environmental degradation.”

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