Editing European bison (section)

====Distribution====
[[File:Turnir.jpg|thumb|Bison sparring in the reserve in [[Altai Mountains]], [[Russia]]]]

The largest European bison herds — of both captive and wild populations — are still located in Poland and Belarus,<ref name="lbn-pż" /> the majority of which can be found in the [[Białowieża Forest]] including the most numerous population of free-living European bison in the world with most of the animals living on the Polish side of the border.<ref name=ostoja /> Poland remains the world's breeding centre for the wisent.<ref name = pzł /> In the years 1945 to 2014, from the [[Białowieża National Park]] alone, 553 specimens were sent to most captive populations of the bison in Europe as well as all breeding sanctuaries for the species in Poland.<ref name=ostoja />

Since 1983, a small reintroduced population lives in the [[Altai Mountains]]. This population suffers from inbreeding depression and needs the introduction of unrelated animals for "blood refreshment". In the long term, authorities hope to establish a population of about 1,000 animals in the area. One of the northernmost current populations of the European bison lives in [[Vologodskaya Oblast]] in the [[Northern Dvina]] valley at about 60°N. It survives without supplementary winter feeding. Another Russian population lives in the forests around the [[Desna River]] on the border between Russia and Ukraine.<ref name="Sipko"/> The north-easternmost population lives in [[Pleistocene Park]] south of [[Chersky (urban-type settlement)|Chersky]] in [[Siberia]], a project to recreate the [[steppe]] ecosystem which began to be altered 10,000 years ago. Five wisents were introduced on 24 April 2011. The wisents were brought to the park from the [[Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve]] near [[Moscow]]. The bison originated from a population in Denmark. Winter temperatures often drop below −50&nbsp;°C. Four of the five bison have subsequently died due to problems acclimatizing to the low winter temperature.

Plans are being made to reintroduce two herds in Germany<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wisent-welt.de/|title=Startseite – Wisent Welt|access-date=20 November 2011|archive-date=3 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203200821/http://www.wisent-welt.de/|url-status=live}}</ref> and in the Netherlands in [[Oostvaardersplassen]] Nature Reserve<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lhnet.org/second-group-of-3-european-bison-from-poland-bialowieza-was-released-today/|title=Second group of 3 European bison from Poland (Białowieża) was released today|publisher=Large Herbivore Network|access-date=14 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522153157/http://www.lhnet.org/second-group-of-3-european-bison-from-poland-bialowieza-was-released-today/|archive-date=22 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> in [[Flevoland]] as well as the [[Veluwe]]. In 2007, a bison [[Pilot experiment|pilot project]] in a fenced area was begun in [[Zuid-Kennemerland National Park]] in the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freenature.eu/free-en/free-nature-offerings/rewilding/bison-at-kraansvlak/|title=Bison|access-date=9 June 2012}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Because of their limited genetic pool, they are considered highly vulnerable to illnesses such as [[foot-and-mouth disease]]. In March 2016, a herd was released in the Maashorst Nature Reserve in [[North Brabant]]. Zoos in 30 countries also have quite a few bison involved in captive-breeding programs.