The Museum of the History of the Resort City of Sochi presents a stuffed European bison. In ancient times, this animal inhabited most of Europe, the Caucasus, and Transcaucasia. However, in the early 19th century, wild European bison could only be found in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park and the Caucasus. The “Kuban Hunt” of Grand Dukes played a significant role in the preservation of the Caucasian bison. The hunting territory reserved for the dukes became the only refuge for the animal. When the Kuban Hunt ceased to exist and the territory was no longer protected from poachers, the intensified extermination of bison began.
In 1924, the Caucasus Nature Reserve was created with the aim of preserving and studying forests and valuable animals. However, during the first years of the reserve’s work, it was still poorly protected, and the final blow was dealt by the devastation in the country following the Civil War. The last wild male bison was killed in 1927. From that moment on, the long and painstaking process to de-extinct the species began. In 1936, the reserve team set themselves the task of filling the gap in the fauna of the Caucasus, that is, bringing back the Caucasian bison. The reserve started to operate in 1940. Several bison were brought in (they were hybrids of the bison from the Belovezhskaya Pushcha with the American bison), but the Great Patriotic War broke out and disrupted the plans. In the post-war years, the work was resumed, and the scientific team achieved significant results. Currently, the reserve has the most impressive herd of the new subspecies of the Caucasian bison — the mountain bison — in the world. The herd numbers over 1000 heads.
Most often, the European bison inhabits broad-leaved and mixed forests. The animal prefers it when vast forests alternate with open areas. Adults consume up to 35 kilograms of green fodder and drink 30–50 liters of water per day. In appearance and habits, the hybrid bison of the Caucasus Nature Reserve do not differ much from their ancestors: they have the same strong chest and a slightly arched back, the same dark brown color, beard and mane.
