The return of bison to Romania’s Southern Carpathians is one of Europe’s most inspiring wildlife recovery stories. Three new bison ambassadors will bring this incredible comeback to life and help shape a wilder future by inspiring deeper connections between people, wild nature, and communities.
Staffan Widstrand / Wildflowers of Europe
a touching return
More than 200 years after the European bison disappeared from Romania, Europe’s largest land mammal is once again moving through the forests and valleys of the Southern Carpathians. Today, with more than 250 bison roaming free in the Sharcoo Mountains (nearly half of them born in the wild), the region has been the setting for one of Europe’s most inspiring wildlife comeback stories.
Now the new “Bison Ambassadors” program, launched through the EU-funded LIFE with Bison initiative, aims to bring more people closer to this incredible return. Over the next few years, three representatives hand-picked by the Rewilding Romania team will visit the wild environments of the Southern Carpathians, using their voices, experiences and platforms to share the story of the bison’s return, raising awareness of rewilding and its beneficial impacts and helping to strengthen the bonds between people, communities and wild nature.
Giving Bison a Human Voice
The new ambassador program will connect a wider audience with the realities of wilderness restoration on the ground, from nature restoration and the ecological role of bison to responsible tourism and community-led initiatives. During their visit to the Southern Carpathians, scheduled to begin this summer, the ambassadors will spend time with Romania’s rewilding team, local residents and students, participate in key moments such as the bison release, and witness first-hand how rewilding is reshaping landscapes and positively impacting lives and livelihoods.
The program focuses on authentic communication, with ambassadors contributing at their own pace and style. Through social media reflections, travel style journals, photos, videos and other landscape content, we will help people understand why wild nature is essential to our future and bring to life the story of nature recovery in the Southern Carpathians.
“Most ambassador roles provide a platform,” says Sebastian Ursuta, head of communications at Rewilding Romania. “But these positions also provide stories – stories whose endings have yet to be written, and stories where the people in the roles can really help shape them.”
Neil Aldridge / Reviving Europe
Three ambassadors, three perspectives
Each of the three ambassadors will offer a different perspective on the program.
Renowned Romanian actress and filmmaker Dana Rogoz will share the story of the return of the bison with her fans and followers and encourage people to reconnect with nature. Regenerative farmer and anthropologist Roxana Zaha lives in a restored environment and promotes agricultural approaches that support biodiversity and ecological balance, with a focus on living and working in harmony with nature.
Alexandru Stermin, a biologist, explorer and university lecturer working at the University of Babes-Boyoy in Cluj-Napoca, has devoted much of his time to deepening our understanding of the relationship between humans and the natural world. As a bison ambassador, he will also help bring the return of the European bison in the Sharcoo Mountains closer to people. This is a role that naturally continues the direction of his work.
Romania becomes wild again
a passionate believer
The three ambassadors are all excited to be part of the unfolding story of nature’s recovery.
“I am looking forward to being the bearer of this special initiative,” says Dana Rogoz. “I want to share the achievements and stories of Romania’s reconstruction with my community and other nature lovers. I passionately believe in the power of people to protect what they truly know and love.”
“I am honored to be a bison ambassador because I have made it my life’s mission to preserve the values of the natural world,” added Roxana Zaha. “I believe we must show reverence for nature through actions that help animals, plants and people thrive together. The story of the bison’s return allows me to share this philosophy with even greater confidence.”
Biologist Alexandru Stermin says the bison’s return conveys a deeper message about humanity’s relationship with nature. “When you look into the eyes of a bison, you realize that you cannot protect nature, you can only choose not to betray it.”
People and Bison: A Thriving Partnership
The LIFE with Bison initiative, led by a coalition of partners consisting of Rewilding Europe, Rewilding Romania, WWF Romania, WeWilder, the Wildlife and Live Resources Research and Development Institute, and the municipalities of Armeniş, Teregova and Cornereva, builds on more than a decade of rewilding activities in the Southern Carpathians.
Since bison were first reintroduced to the Sharcoo Mountains in 2014, their population has steadily increased, helping to restore natural processes throughout the landscape. Today, the plan is focused not only on increasing bison populations, but also on ensuring that these iconic herbivores and the people who live in their communities can thrive together. The development of so-called “bison smart communities” by our partners will help people and bison thrive together.
Bison in the landscape are already having a positive impact on biodiversity, helping to create a richer habitat mosaic through grazing, trampling, seed dispersal and nutrient recycling. Research also shows that it can have a positive impact on the climate by strengthening the capacity of ecosystems to capture and store carbon, and can also create new opportunities for local communities by promoting the development of nature-based tourism.
A harsher future for the Southern Carpathians
These ecological, climate and community benefits are expected to increase in the coming years as bison populations in the Southern Carpathians continue to grow.
Three Bison Ambassadors will help shine a light on these positive changes, demonstrating how the restoration and return to the wild of European bison is enriching nature, supporting local livelihoods, and reshaping the relationship between people and wildlife. By sharing their encounters and reflections from the landscape, they will encourage more people to embrace and support a future with thriving communities and thriving wild nature.
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