Rare European bison calf born at Fota park

A rare European bison calf has been born at Fota wildlife park in Cork.

The animal, named Linde, was born in June and brings the park's herd to 8 - one of the largest in Europe.

The European bison, originally native to central and western Europe, became extinct in the wild during the 1920s.

At the time there were only 54 European bison in captivity, of which 13 had breeding potential.

The present population of about 3,000 derives from these 13 animals.

Speaking at Fota Wildlife Park today, Dr Neil Stronach said: "Linde has made outstanding progress since her arrival at the start of June."

Dr Stronach said: "The bison herd is now a very impressive sight on the open grasslands around the park."

"The birth of Linde is remarkable given the fact that this animal faced near extinction less than one hundred years ago," he added.