ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 
49 
that time about 180 head, were killed; so that 
the bison must be considered as exterminated 
there. The author states also that a few wisents 
have been reported as having escaped from 
Bjeloviesh, and to be living in the district of 
Bobrujsk, government of Minsk, some 300 kilo¬ 
meters from Bjeloviesh. The agricultural min¬ 
istry of the country is said to protect them. 
However interesting this report is, the matter, 
even should it be true, will scarcely have much 
influence upon the present undertaking. About 
the present conditions in the Caucasus we know 
practically nothing. The Pless animals have 
been reduced by poaching to 3 head. 
When we sum up, we find about 50 known 
or available wisents to be still alive, at present 
widely scattered through zoological gardens or 
preserves. 
The hope, however, must not be abandoned, 
that if all those interested in the preservation 
of the wisents can be prevailed upon to system¬ 
atically cooperate, that species may yet be per¬ 
manently saved, or at least preserved for many 
a year to come. In 1916 and 1917, and par¬ 
ticularly at a conference of Directors of 
Zoological Gardens held about that time, the 
author proposed that the methods so success¬ 
fully pursued by the American Bison Society 
could and should be used with certain modifica¬ 
tions in an effort to preserve the wisent. Of 
course, in America the vast territory which 
could be utilized, the large means available and 
the stable economic conditions rendered the solu¬ 
tion of the problem much easier. 
To preserve the wisent, the cooperation of all 
interests, German and foreign, is indispensable, 
and only thus can systematic breeding be carried 
out, the necessary funds be raised and the inter¬ 
est of the general public be gained. It is pro¬ 
posed, therefore, to found a “Society for the 
Preservation of the Wisent,” but before a call 
for members was published, it became necessary 
to revise all wisent statistics up to date. Ques¬ 
tionnaires were therefore sent out, asking in¬ 
formation as to numbers and sex, age, derivation, 
race, physical development, state of health, 
capacity for breeding, reasons for sterility in 
sterile specimens, and special characteristics. 
Most satisfactory detailed replies have been re¬ 
ceived from practically all domestic and foreign 
wisent owners. Particularly active aid was 
rendered by the sons of Carl Hagenbeck, Stel- 
lingen, Hamburg; and their scientific assistant, 
L. Zulkowskv, aided efficaciously in compiling 
the statistics, and in corresponding with for¬ 
eign countries. The results of these statistics, 
which were closed in October 1, 1922, give 
a total number of 52 animals,—25 males and 
27 females, among which are 5 bull calves, 5 
cow calves and 2 sterile cows. Almost all of 
the animals reported are well developed and 
healthy specimens. 
In connection with these statistics a card- 
catalogue has been made, where all this informa¬ 
tion is systematically arranged. Owing to the 
willingness of wisent owners to cooperate, and 
to various offers of financial assistance from 
outsiders, the founding of the proposed society 
seems assured; and it is hoped that work may 
be started this winter. 
The most important problem for the new 
society will be to endeavor to increase the num¬ 
ber of animals by systematic breeding, and to 
maintain or possibly to improve the stock by the 
interchange of individuals from various sources. 
It should be said here that it is perhaps ques¬ 
tionable whether such interchanges will produce 
satisfactory results, as some zoological authori¬ 
ties look upon such attempts with skepticism. 
An interchange presents also great difficulties. 
With one exception, perhaps, all the available 
stock is derived from the Bjeloviesh herd. This 
exception is a bull of the Caucasus breed which 
was presented to Carl Hagenbeck by the Czar 
in 1907. This bull has always played an im¬ 
portant part in reproducing the race, and will 
continue to do so. There are also descendants 
of a Frankfort bull, which died some years ago, 
and which came from the herd of Friedrich von 
Falz-Fein of Ascania Nova. 
Should systematic breeding produce satisfac¬ 
tory results, and the successful experience of 
zoological gardens tends to encourage this hope, 
in twelve or fifteen years small herds of wisents 
may be turned loose in more extensive preserves. 
In these, naturally the principles of scientific 
game preservation will be maintained. These 
future wisent preserves or parks should offer, 
as far as possible, variegated topography, cli¬ 
mate and forest conditions, so that local race 
variations may eventually develop. A beginning 
has been made by Count Arnim Boitzenburg of 
Boitzenburg-Uckermark, province of Branden¬ 
burg, who has introduced the Hagenbeck wisent 
herd upon his estates, and, according to latest 
reports, also purchased it. It is to be hoped that 
the dangers of inbreeding may be obviated, and 
by continuous care, proper food, etc., a healthy 
development may be assured. Should these ef¬ 
forts fail in part or in whole, as a last resource 
American bison blood may be introduced, but 
this last resort would be most undesirable, as 
an inferior hybrid breed, doomed to eventual 
extinction, would in all probability be the result. 
