UK wildlife: Surprise! The UK has a new baby bison

The rangers behind a special project aimed at reintroducing wild bison to the UK have been met with an unexpected surprise!

They were greeted by a new-born calf while carrying out checks on three female bison which were released into the woodland in Kent back in July as part of the Wilder Blean project.

The bison birth is the first in the wild that the UK has seen in thousands of years.

The adorable addition came as a complete surprise!

So why wasn't the presence of a baby bison spotted earlier?

It's all because the animals don't show clear obvious signs of pregnancy to avoid being hunted by predators.

It means there was a chance one of the adult bison may have been carrying a calf, but the rangers wouldn't have been able to tell.

"Though it was a surprise to see that the younger female bison had given birth, it was always a possibility, and we have created a care plan for the calf to ensure her needs are met," said bison ranger Tom Gibbs.

"These animals are wild, so we want to remain as hands-off as possible, but their welfare is at the absolute heart of what we do. She is being observed by experts and we are constantly monitoring the whole herd to ensure their wellbeing."

The new calf is doing well

The new calf is said to have developed well and she loves playing in the rain, as well as copying the other bison when they're having dust baths!

She's now become the the fourth member to join the herd living in West Blean and Thornden Woods, and the team working on the project, led by Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust, are getting ready for another important arrival before the end of the year.

"We are also preparing for the arrival of a bull from Germany within the next few-months so we will be carefully planning how that introduction is made to ensure they bond well and act as a herd should," said Tom.

Why is this project so important?

The trio of adult bison were released into the wild in July this year

This particular project aims to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises.

Bison have a big impacts on land, creating light and space for wildlife to thrive through their natural behaviours like eating bark, grazing, bathing in dust and knocking over trees which can have a positive impact on their surroundings.