The UK’s first wild bison herd for thousands of years has been completed in time for Christmas with the release of the herd’s bull. Three females were released into woods in Kent in July as part of the Wilder Blean project. But the bull’s arrival from Germany had been delayed by five months due to post-Brexit paperwork complexities. The herd also has a young calf, thanks to a surprise birth in September. The bull arrived on Friday but it was three hours before it chose to leave the transporter, perhaps deterred by the pouring rain and a little sluggish after sedation during the journey. In the end, the sight of the females reportedly appeared to tempt the bull out. Bison are gentle giants and the completed herd sniffed, nuzzled and ate together for a while, before retreating into the woodland. The project is a collaboration between the Kent Wildlife Trust and the Wildwood Trust, and aims to use the free-living bison as “ecosystem engineers” to naturally rewild a former pine wood plantation. Bison’s taste for bark kills some trees and their bulk opens up trails, letting light spill on to the forest floor, while their love of rolling around in dust baths creates more open ground for new plants, invertebrates and birds. Mark Habben of the Wildwood Trust said: “The arrival of the bull marks the start of the Wilder Blean journey in earnest and it’s incredibly fitting that it coincides with a new year. I feel a bit emotional to be honest, it’s been such a long time in the making.” Stan Smith of the Kent Wildlife Trust said: “We want to demonstrate that a hands-off, nature-based solution exists to combat the climate and biodiversity crises we face, and intend that the Wilder Blean Project will become a blueprint for other organisations to take forward.” The Kent project expects the herd will breed and is licensed for up to 10 bison. In future, it hopes to provide bison to found other herds in the UK, as well as exchanging animals across Europe. All 9,000 bison living in Europe are descended from just 12 zoo animals, which saved the species from extinction in the early 20th century, so maximising genetic diversity is important. The female bison, from Ireland and Scotland, were originally released into a five-hectare (12-acre) enclosure, so their health could be closely monitored while they adapted to their new home. In November, they were given access to a 50-hectare area. Donovan Wright, a bison ranger, was observing as the herd made their first steps into the 50-hectare area, and said: “It was an incredible moment, the matriarch led the younger females into their new home, making a beeline for the sweet chestnut trees and tucking in right away.” The herd will be released into the full 200-hectare site in summer 2023, with a fundraising campaign under way to build tunnels under public footpaths that cross the area. The bison will live entirely wild lives, but came from parks where they were given supplemental feed, which they are now being weaned off.