A new educational exhibition will be presented in the European Bison Show Farm. The european bison bull skeleton and dermoplast complement the educational offer of training and science lessons. The teaching room in the educational and exhibition building of the Euroean Bison Show Farm has been enriched with new teaching aids. Thanks to the funding obtained by the Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Pszczyna Land from the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Katowice, a dermoplast and a skeleton of a european bison bull (Bison bonasus) were purchased.
The meeting was attended by local government authorities, including: the mayor of Pszczyna, Dariusz Skrobol, the starosta of Pszczyna, Barbara Bandoła and veterinarian Dr Mieczysław Hławiczka, heads of Hunting Clubs and representatives of the State Forests. Information about the current bison population and plans related to their breeding was shared by Prof. Wanda Olech-Piasecka, president of the Association of European Bison Lovers, lecturer at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, who has been involved in bison protection in Poland and Europe for over 30 years. In turn, prof. Wojciech Bielecki from the Department of Veterinary Pathology and Diagnostics of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) revealed to the meeting participants the structure and functions of the european bison skeletal system. At the same time, he emphasized that there are only three exhibits of this type in Europe: one in a Swedish museum, another in Spain, and the third in Białowieża. Now Pszczyna has joined this small group.
- Thanks to the cooperation of many institutions, including: The Association of European Bison Lovers, the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Katowice, the Kobiór Forest District, the Pszczyna commune and our company have the pleasure and satisfaction of publicly presenting a complete and natural skeleton of a bull european bison. What is unique is the fact that it is the second exhibit of this type in Poland, which will now help in conducting educational activities in terms of the broadly understood role of the european bison in the natural environment, as well as promoting knowledge about it in our homestead - emphasized the president of the Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Pszczyna Region, Jacek Patyk.
The exhibition is complemented by copies of graphics of the european bison and aurochs skeleton presented in the work "De uro nostrate eiusque sceleto commentatio" by Ludwik Henryk Bojanus from 1825, which are part of the larger study "Nova Acta Physico-Medica Academiae Cesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum". This is an important study for bisonologists and naturalists, because in it, through a thorough comparative analysis, Bojanus proved that the bison and the aurochs are two separate species.
- European bisons were brought to Pszczyna almost 160 years ago. Since then, our town has been associated with these animals. I am glad that, in addition to ensuring the development of the tourist offer, the Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Pszczyna Region is constantly developing its educational offer. This is reflected in the statistics of visitors to the European Bison Show Farm in Historical Pszczyna Park and students taking advantage of the workshop offer - said the mayor of Pszczyna, Dariusz Skrobol.
The skeleton was placed on a raised platform, thanks to which you can see the smallest details of the osteological anatomy of the largest european land mammal. Its artistic copy was presented on the wall next to it by a young and talented painter from Pszczyna, Wiktoria Kania.
