European bison – kit from LEGO® bricks

Description

The bison is not exactly an everyday sight, but his appearance is unmistakeable: reddish brown in colour, with two short, curved horns, a body as heavy as a lorry, shoulders as strong as a wrestler’s, eyes as gentle as a lamb’s. You shouldn’t rely on the latter.

The bison – also called the European bison – almost died out: in 1927, the last specimen living in the wild was shot in the Caucasus. However, a few of the once wild cattle lived in zoos and animal enclosures. These were cherished, cared for and, above all, further bred.

In 1952, the first bison were released back into the wild; many more followed. Their population has risen nicely ever since. Once more, there are thousands of these bearers of impressive forehead weapons today, including in Germany. They live as they did in the Middle Ages, in small herds of 12 to 20 animals. It’s hard to believe, but they are all descended from only a dozen zoo animals.

Number of original LEGO® bricks: 225

Measurements of the model: 15.1 x 8.2 x 7.3 cm

Difficulty level: intermediate