A Kent-born bison is breaking free from Tier 3 lockdown to be rehomed in the wild.

The male bison was born at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve, near Hythe, following a successful breeding programme.

But he has now been selected to be rehomed in the wild in the Romanian mountains.

He started his 1,400 mile journey yesterday (Tuesday) and will pass through seven countries in less than 48 hours aboard an 11-metre specialist transport vehicle accompanied by a skeleton team.

The final destination is the Făgăraș Mountains in the southern Carpathian Mountains of Romania, where he will become part of the ongoing European bison reintroduction project in this region.

The move will contribute bison to the ambitious project to bring back Europe’s largest land mammal to the Făgăraș Mountains, 200 years after they were hunted to extinction in the region.

The move is part of The Aspinall Foundation’s Back to the Wild programme.

Damian Aspinall, chairman of the foundation - which also runs Howletts near Canterbury, said: "We are fighting more than a virus here at The Aspinall Foundation.

"This move clearly demonstrates that, despite the pandemic and the challenges it has raised, our commitment to rewilding and conservation remains our number one priority.

"Even as the world locked down around us, we have remained at the forefront of real, on the ground conservation and I cannot wait to share our plans for our upcoming rewilding projects, which include some of our largest and most challenging to date."

Earlier this month, an appeal was launched to raise enough funds for new enclosures at Port Lympne for three rescued lions and a family of six brown bears.

Two of the lions, Mojito and Timothy, were saved from Circus Wonderland where bosses at Port Lympne say they were deliberately underfed to keep them weak and small enough to use for photoshoots.

This has left Mojito with a serious health condition for which he will require specialised care for the rest of his life.

The third lion, Anthares, was confiscated from another circus where he was forced to perform and lived in a tiny and filthy trailer.

The three brown bears, Julio, Enciam and Neu, and their three young cubs are living at an adventure park in Andorra, which is soon closing its zoo.

It is hoped new homes can be created for all the animals at the Hythe animal park.

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