CATCHING OF (BISON BONASUS) LIVING FREELY IN LITHUANIA BY TRANSFERRING THEM TO PENS, FORMING A HERD

Abstract

In Lithuania, to achieve the conservation goals of the Bison bonasus species, formation of the number of perspective individuals in herds is encouraged. The formation of wild bison herds the main risk groups of bison is evaluated, such as late-bearing females and late-bred young bison. Bison that grows in favorable conditions determine the formation of promising herds, therefore these criteria are taken into consideration, when catching bison and moving them to different territories in Lithuania. The work analyzes the current state of the bison population, investigates, compares the effectiveness of three different bison capture methods and emerging problems during process. The data is presented after analyzing the capture rates of bison by different trapping methods, the frequency of trapping methods, the characteristics of efficiency, evaluated by different criteria, such as convenience, financial costs, animal safety, injury possibilities, etc. After analyzing 3 different bison capture methods in 2020 - 2022, a comparison is presented, evaluating the effectiveness of different capture methods in order to achieve successful bison population regulation and genetic diversity. The suitability and effectiveness of each bison capture method is discussed along with potential problems, pitfalls and recommendations for an even more successful bison capture and translocation process.