Once they were the rulers of the forests, hunted by kings and counts for sport and entertainment while marvelling at the wildness of Bulgarian nature. Now the bison have returned, 'celebrating' the birth of the first calf in at least eight centuries.

A small herd of bison (seven adult animals) was released into the wild in the Rhodope Mountains (a nature reserve) this summer. Among them was a pregnant cow, which has now given birth to a calf. Currently, there are about 3,500 bison living in the wild across various corners and regions of Europe.