European bison

The wisent, also called the European bison, is a massive shaggy mammal that roams the forests of Europe. It's the continent's heaviest wild land animal, though its ancestors were even bigger. Once nearly wiped out, these gentle giants now live in protected areas after being reintroduced from captivity.

• Shares its genus with the American bison as one of only two surviving bison species
• Disappeared from most of Europe and Asia by medieval times due to hunting
• Last wild herds survived in remote parts of central Europe and the Caucasus