The national animal of Belarus is the European bison. This animal is seen as a very important national symbol and an embodiment of the country’s natural beauty. Bison are seen across Europe and Asia as important symbols of strength, power and courage and this is especially true in Belarus.
The bison, then, is a very important animal across large parts of its natural range.
Importantly, this animal should not be confused with the buffalo, though it is sometimes colloquially referred to by this name.
Buffalo and bison are distinct animals.
It is the bison that is the national animal of Belarus.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Belarus?
The national animal of Belarus is the European bison.
This is not to be confused with the buffalo.
In the U.S., the bison is often referred to by this name, as indeed it is in Europe too.
But from a strictly taxonomical point of view, they are entirely distinct species, with buffalo being mostly found in the Old World tropical regions.
They look much more like cattle than bison do, and though they are somewhat closely related, they are different species.
The European bison, then, is one of two extant species of bison along with the American bison.
They are Europe’s heaviest land animal, and today they may not even be as large as they once were in the recent past.
They have come and gone in many parts of the world over the course of time, becoming extinct in much of Asia and Europe in the early Middle Ages.
They do not have many natural predators given their enormous size, though of course hunting by humans has been a big problem for their conservation.
They were killed for their meat and hides.
They were first named by the Greeks and Romans in classical antiquity.
They are around 9 to 11 feet long, and around six to seven feet tall at the shoulders.
They are lighter in overall body mass than their American cousins, though they do tend to be taller.
They make many different vocalizations to convey different things like mood, and are naturally highly social creatures living in fairly large social groups and herds of around 10 individuals.
They eat mostly grass, though they will also eat shoots and leaves.
Adult males will eat as much as 32 kilos of food per day in the summer.
Why is the bison the national animal of Belarus?
There are a few reasons why the bison is the national animal of Belarus.
For one thing, they are simply seen as important symbols of various important national values.
They are icons of strength, power, and boldness, yet at the same time, they are representative of calmness, peace, and tranquility.
They are large and powerful yet quiet and graceful.
On the other, more literal hand, they are simply seen as the ideal embodiment of the country’s natural beauty.
They are large, rugged, and more than equipped to deal with the often harsh Belarusian winters, which makes them important aspects not just of the physical makeup of Belarusian ecology, but also in the more symbolic sense of their position in Belarusian culture.
Of course, their historic importance as game animals has also influenced their modern position as national animals.
They were once hunted for meat, hides and even their horns were used as drinking horns.
They have, then, simply always played a role in the lives of the people that lived in this region, and though they are naturally not hunted anymore that aspect of their role remains important.
Did they go extinct, then?
Did bison go extinct?
In the early 20th Century, European bison were hunted entirely to extinction in the wild, much as what happened with the American bison across the pond.
Fortunately, though, they were able to be preserved in a variety of ways outside the wild, like zoos, private farms, and even some menageries.
They were extinct in the wild, and indeed they had slowly retreated from a once much large range across Europe and Asia to the point they had reached in the early 20th Century.
They were successfully reintroduced, though, and have returned to much of their historic range.
Reintroducing animals like bison in the wild tend to be a lot easier than, say, predators, as their behaviors are not as learned and more intuitive.
Are bison dangerous?
Bison are certainly very dangerous if you find yourself provoking one’s ire.
They are usually peaceful creatures and will not seek out confrontations with humans, at least, but they are very large and powerful and will not hesitate to charge you if they feel cornered or threatened.
So, the likelihood of ever encountering a bison in this way is quite low unless you’re seeking it out.
You should not, of course, be doing so. In that case, as long as you follow the rules of engagement, then bison should not really pose any danger—try just to observe them from afar!
So, the story of these huge animals is one that has had its ups and downs over the years.
They were at one time entirely extinct in the wild, but have since been reintroduced to a number of countries including Belarus and have bounced back tremendously.
Though their future is far from decided, it seems that things are looking much better for the bison in Belarus and in all parts of Europe and northern Asia.