Recently, Dana Rogoz accepted Rewilding Romania’s invitation to become an ambassador for the LIFE with Bison project. Before telling the story of these mammals’ return to the Țarcu Mountains, she chose to discover it alongside the team on the ground and the local communities.
To share the story of the bison’s return to the Southern Carpathians, we need voices to carry it forward and make it known beyond the area where the project takes place. That is why we invited the ambassadors of the LIFE with Bison project to take part in various activities and join the Rewilding Romania team in the field to meet the partners involved and visit local communities. By living these experiences firsthand, they can better understand not only the process of bison reintroduction but also the people involved, the challenges of coexistence, and the efforts that make it possible.
And so, in July, actress, director, and one of the most recognizable voices in Romanian public life, Dana Rogoz, spent a few days in the bison reintroduction area in the Țarcu Mountains. For her, the invitation to become a project ambassador was recognition of the values she shares with the organizations behind the initiative: respect for nature, cultural heritage, and people.
During the days she spent with us, Dana spoke at length with the Rewilding Romania team and the project’s partners, as well as with the rangers and biologists who monitor the bison population daily and implement coexistence measures with local communities. She learned in detail how animals are translocated, how they are tracked after release, the challenges faced on the ground, how the monitoring systems work, and the effort that goes into every management decision.
A highlight of the experience was taking part in a Bison Tracking session, guided by specialized rangers. Observing tracks and habitats and encountering the bison in the wild gave Dana direct insight into the role this species plays in restoring natural processes. Describing the moment she came face-to-face with the bison, the actress says:
“When I saw the bison, it felt like receiving a gift, like I’d been given a present.”
The Bison Tracking experience is already available to the public through Rewilding Romania Travel. Through this kind of activity, visitors can discover the reintroduction area and gain a better understanding of the role these mammals play in the ecosystem, as well as what it takes to protect their presence in the region.
The bison is, without a doubt, a spectacular animal, and encountering one in the wild can be an unforgettable experience. Thanks to the reintroduction and conservation program carried out in the Țarcu Mountains, the species’ presence could, in time, become a natural part of the landscape and an increasingly familiar sight for those exploring the region. By bringing people closer to nature and into direct contact with it, we help raise awareness and acceptance of the bison’s return to Romania’s wildlife.
During her visit, Dana Rogoz also got to know the communities involved in the bison reintroduction story. In Cornereva, she met Mama Ana, who keeps alive the tradition of weaving on a loom more than 200 years old. Conserving and promoting cultural heritage is also one of the directions pursued by Rewilding Romania. We work to integrate local traditions into the experiences offered to visitors – such as weaving, blacksmithing, and making traditional opinci sandals. These crafts have been part of the community’s cultural identity since the days when bison still roamed these mountains. And we shouldn’t wait until they, too, are on the verge of disappearing, as happened with the bison, before giving them the attention and protection they deserve.
In Sat Bătrân, Dana met a family preparing to open the first local eatery in the bison reintroduction area. The initiative is also supported through Rewilding Romania’s efforts to help local producers and entrepreneurs, including by organizing certified courses for setting up this kind of small local eatery. We believe that restoring nature can go hand in hand with preserving cultural heritage and developing economic opportunities rooted in the community’s own values.
The visit to the WeWilder ecotourism campus in Armeniș, run by our partners, and a walk along the future-themed trail near the village of Feneș gave Dana a perspective on how the region is adapting to the presence of bison and making the most of the opportunities it brings. The trail, currently being developed, is being built by Rewilding Romania in collaboration with local authorities and with the support of the project’s partners. Through the development of this trail, and by encouraging and promoting nature-based tourism, the LIFE with Bison project aims to ensure that the bison’s return generates real benefits for both nature and the communities in the reintroduction area. And the involvement of the project’s ambassadors plays a very important role in this.
By taking part in activities in the Țarcu Mountains, Dana Rogoz gained a deeper understanding of the efforts behind reintroducing the bison into the wild, beyond the images and results shared in the public eye. She is becoming a voice that carries forward the story of the bison, of the local communities, and of the nature being restored in this region. In taking on the role of ambassador, Dana is helping raise the visibility of the reintroduction initiative, and, in a long-term rewilding process, informing, engaging, and building acceptance among people matter just as much as the conservation measures themselves.
Bison reintroduction in the Southern Carpathians is more than restoring a species; it renews natural processes, strengthens biodiversity, and encourages communities to value their environment. This initiative deepens people’s connection to the wild landscapes that define Romania.
Through passionate ambassadors, the bison’s story spreads beyond local boundaries and inspires broader support. Nature’s return is about ensuring thriving communities and resilient landscapes for the future, not just restoring a single species.
