International Scientific Conference

Wisent in Pszczyna Land – 160 years

September 11 – 12, 2025

PSZCZYNA

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honor to invite you to the twenty-second international meeting, which will take place in Pszczyna, the oldest breeding enclosure in the world..

This year marks the 160th anniversary of the founding of the European bison breeding center in Pszczyna.  In 1865, the then owner of the Pszczyna forests, Jan Henryk XI Hochberg, Prince von Pless, imported four European bison (one bull and three cows) from Białowieża in exchange for red deer. The current breeding site is the “Żubrowisko” animal reserve with the associated educational enclosures in Jankowice and Pszczyna Park.

Visits to the educational enclosures are part of our meeting, apart from the main aim of exchanging experiences and discussing problems related to the protection and breeding of European bison.

The conference is organized jointly with the Kobiór Forest District and the Pszczyna Region Development and Promotion Agency.

We want to enjoy the success, but also start a discussion on what to do next and answer the question of what protection the European bison needs.

I look forward to seeing you there

Wanda Olech
President of European Bison Friends Society