The European bison or the European wood bison, also known as the wisent, the zubr, or sometimes colloquially as the European buffalo, is a European species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the American bison. The European bison is the heaviest wild land animal in Europe, and individuals in the past may have been even larger than their modern-day descendants. During late antiquity and the Middle Ages, bison became extinct in much of Europe and Asia, surviving into the 20th century only in northern-central Europe and the northern Caucasus Mountains. During the early years of the 20th century, bison were hunted to extinction in the wild.
European bison
European bison
Side view of a European bison bull
Skull of a European bison
A bison is a large bovine in the genus Bison within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised.
Image: American bison k 5680 1
Image: Bison bonasus (Linnaeus 1758)
Magdalenian bison on plaque, 17,000–9,000 BC, Bédeilhac grottoe, Ariège
A museum display shows the full skeleton of an adult male American bison.