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The wisent is Europe's heaviest land animal. A typical individual is about 2.9 m long and 1.8–1.9 m tall, and weighs 300 to 920 kg. It is taller and less massive than its close relation, the American bison. Their hair on the neck, head, and forequarters is shorter than American bison. Wisent are forest dwelling animals. They have few predators with only scattered reports from the 1800s of wolf and bear predation.

It was first described in scientific literature by Linnaeus in 1758. Some later descriptions treat the wisent as conspecific with the buffalo. It is not to be confused with the aurochs.

1 Near-extinction

In Western EuropeWestern Europe is distinguished from Central Europe and Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. However, these boundaries of Europe are subject to considerable overlap and fluctuation, which makes differentiation dif, wisent were gone by the 11th century10th century 11th century 12th century other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. Events 1000 (cca), Vikings, led by Leif Eirikson, establish small settlements at and aro except in the ArdennesThe Ardennes is a region of extensive forests and rolling hill country (its highest point is under 700 m), primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France (lending its name to the Ardennes departement and the Champagne-Ardenne region and G, where they lasted into the 14th century13th century 14th century 15th century more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. Events The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age Beginning of th. The last wisent in RomaniaRomania (formerly spelled Rumania or Roumania is a country in southeastern Europe. Romania is bordered by Ukraine and Moldova in the northeast, Hungary and Serbia in the west and Bulgaria to the south. Romania also has a small sea coast on the Black Sea. was killed in 1762Events Neolin begins to preach. January 4 Britain declares war on Spain & Naples July 17 Catherine II becomes empress of Russia upon the murder of Peter III of Russia. Empress Go-Sakuramachi ascends to the throne of Japan British East India Company seizes and in TransylvaniaTransylvania Transilvania or Ardeal in Romanian, Erdely in Hungarian, Siebenburgen in German, Urdul in Turkish, Sedmohradsko in Slovak, Siedmiogrod in Polish) is a historic region that forms the western and the central parts of Romania. Geography A high p in 1790.

In the east, wisent were legally the property of the Polish kings, Lithuanian princes and Russian Tsars. King Sigismund the Old instituted the death penalty for poaching a wisent in the mid- 1500s. The last wild wisent in Poland was killed in 1919 and the last wild wisent in the world was killed by poachers 1927 in the Caucasus. By that year less than 50 remained, all in zoos.

Wisents were re-introduced successfully into the wild beginning in 1951. They are found living free-ranging in forest preserves like Bialowieza Forest in Poland and Belarus. Free-ranging herds are found in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Zoos in 30 countries also have quite a few animals. There were 3600 individuals as of 2000, all descended from only 12 individuals. Because of their limited genetic pool, they are considered highly vulnerable to diseases like foot and mouth disease.

In 1996 the IUCN classified the wisent as endangered.