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This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing Two bison bulls were transported by conservationists from the European Serengeti reserve which is located in the former military training area of Milovice near Prague managed by Military Forests and Farms in the former military training area of Ralsko The transport of the first two animals marked the start of a new bison breeding group in the Lipno reserve in south Bohemia It has been home to a herd of wild horses since last year and it is bison that will join them in the upcoming weeks we managed to capture two bulls that we had planned The males aged two and three years were successfully released in the game reserve of Vojenské lesy a statky in Zidlov,” explained Dalibor Dostal which founded the Milovice reserve in cooperation with scientists in 2015 Chances for success were reportedly not high the ground was so waterlogged that the equipment sunk into the mud and it was very hard to get to the animals in such adverse conditions,” added Dostal the conservationists will receive two female bison from the Zidlov game reserve which will become the basis of a new breeding group in Lipno A further two females will be provided by Chomutov Zoo A bull will then arrive from the European Serengeti reserve “The aim is to ensure that the newly established bison breeding group in Lipno is genetically as diverse as possible bison were exterminated in the wild by humans and only survived in breeding groups in captivity All the animals originate from just twelve individuals and the rarer Bialowieza line that we breed traces back to a mere seven foundation animals it is necessary to pay attention to the greatest possible genetic variability when setting up new herds,” concluded Dostal The exchange of animals is not the first in which the bison breeding group in the European Serengeti reserve has been involved The European Serengeti reserve has the biggest herd of bison in the Czech Republic A group of conservationists from Ukraine visited several locations in Czechia this week to exchange information on how land damaged by war can be reclaimed to nurture wildlife and restore flora and fauna visited the Milovice reserve to examine its restoration model "Ukrainian colleagues are tackling environmental damage in war-affected zones Mines and damage from heavy machinery due to the conflict have disrupted their valuable areas," said Pavla Hofmeisterová from NGO Nesehnutí who organized the Ukrainian visit Nesehnutí had been collaborating with the Ukrainian Conservation Group (UNCG) before the conflict aiming to safeguard vital areas from destruction UNCG realized the significance of emulating the experience of Central European EU members foreseeing the beginning of negotiations and alignment with EU environmental standards joint projects involving the reintroduction of large ungulates had been in the pipeline but the outbreak of war in 2022 hindered their implementation "Our plan to transfer bison and other ungulates to the Beremytske Nature Reserve in Ukraine had to be put on hold," he said Milovice Nature Reserve Established in 2015 in the Czech Republic Milovice was formerly a military area that witnessed a loss of biodiversity after the departure of heavy machinery With the introduction of large herbivorous mammals the project aims to recreate a sustainable ecosystem The reserve has seen an increase in rare species and even a sighting of a European grey wolf It serves as a unique model for rewilding efforts in Europe Milovice's conservationists are still dealing with the aftermath of Soviet occupation including debris removal and the remnants of the military presence During their visit to Šumava National Park Ukrainian experts sought insights that aligned with their professional scope potentially transferrable to projects in Ukraine established in 2015 on the former military grounds The exchange between Czech and Ukrainian conservationists aims to apply lessons learned in the revitalization of nature in conflict-affected zones Your morning coffee deserves a great companion. Why not enjoy it with our daily newsletter? News from Czechia, curated insights, and inspiring stories in English. The number of European bisons living in the Czech Republic has been steadily growing since 2010 when there were only 36 individuals in the country according to Miloslav Jirku from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences (AV ČR) The count is conducted for the European Bison Pedigree Book by the Ceska krajina (‘Czech landscape’) organisation and the AV ČR Biology Centre The bison population in the Czech Republic increased by five over the past year though fewer calves (21) were born than in the previous two years The largest herds live in the large ungulate reserve near Milovice in Central Bohemia and in the Zidlov game reserve in the Liberec Region (44 and 43 respectively) the success of Czech bison breeding is confirmed by the longevity of the bison which is a respectable age for bison that most individuals do not live to see The maximum age given for the European bison is 23 years for males and 28 years for females the highest documented age is 24 years for a female from the Bialowieza Forest in Poland a record number of six bison were moved abroad Jirku said two bison from Prague and two from Plzen were transported to Azerbaijan where they become part of the reintroduction programme and once acclimated to their new environment they will become progenitors of the emerging new wild population Two bison of the lowland subspecies moved from Tabor Zoo to the Fruska Gora national park in Serbia Several animals from Milovice should be sent to restore the bison population in war-torn Ukraine this year “We are also negotiating with Spain and Denmark on the export of the animals,” said Ceska krajina director Dalibor Dostal exports are complicated by the current disease situation in the Czech Republic in domestic cattle where restrictive measures unfortunately also affect bison.”  Advertise with us Privacy Policy Brno Daily is a Czech media outlet for expats Our partners Czech Republic (AP) "” Such an animal has not been seen on Czech territory for hundreds of years once the heaviest European land mammal and the wild ancestor of today's cattle that became extinct in the 17th century It is believed they disappeared from what is now the Czech Republic in the 12th or 13th century a small herd was introduced to a Czech sanctuary as part of a project to use big-hoofed animals to maintain the steppe character of the former Milovice military base 35 kilometers (22 miles) northeast of Prague The beasts joined a herd of 15 wild horses from Britain's Exmoor National Park that were moved here in January with a task to stop the spread of aggressive and evasive grasses and bushes The invasive plants began to grow after Soviet troops withdrew from the base in 1991 threatening the area's original plants and animals After a nine-hour drive and few more minutes of hesitation five cows and a bull "” all calves"” jumped out of a truck at dawn to take the first look at their new home "They complement each other," said Dalibor Dostal He expects no conflicts between horses and cattle sharing the 40-hectare (99-acre) area Their combination forms a natural partnership such as it was in the wild nature for thousands years." The Dutch Taurus Foundation joined forces with the University of Wageningen and some other groups in the Tauros program the scientists analyzed some existing primitive cattle breeds that are similar to their extinct ancestors Maremmana from Italy and Highlander from Scotland they have been working on reconstructing the original aurochs with the goal to have "the presence of the Tauros as a self-sufficient wild bovine grazer in herds of at least 150 animals each in several rewilding areas in Europe," Rewilding Europe we should be able to get an animal that looks like the aurochs and also has the same impact on the environment," Dostal said The Czech Republic is the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to receive the animals from the Netherlands An aurochs bull could be about 180 centimeters (nearly six feet) tall The adult bulls turn from chestnut color to almost black with a typical white stripe along the spine; the cows are smaller and reddish-brown Aurochs roamed most of the European continent as well in Northern Africa and Asia for several hundred thousand years Their pictures appeared in a cave painting in France's Lascaux and entered the Greek mythology about founding Europe as Zeus kidnapped and seduced Europa in the form of an aurochs Dutch cattle rancher who raised the animals and transported them to the Czech Republic said he believed they will avoid the fate of the aurochs whose last individual is said to have died in 1627 in Poland "They are supposed to be very strong cattle they eat whatever they can get," Jacobs said when a herd of wild horses ran into a large ungulate reserve in the former Milovice military area near the Czech capital of Prague one of the largest nature conservation changes in Central Europe in decades was launched the grazing of large herbivores was introduced to maintain large parts of the landscape in the region “In the environmentally advanced countries of Europe large ungulates have been used in landscape care for decades We are happy that we could help with the introduction of this cost-saving method in the conditions of Central Europe,” said Dalibor Dostal the director of the conservation organisation European Wildlife the company also established another reserve for wild horses in Podyjí National Park near the border with Austria “Large ungulates – both wild and domesticated – have always been among the main creators of the diversity of steppes heaths and oak woods of the Podyjí region,” explains Robert Stejskal Thanks to the project of wild horse grazing it was possible to resume these processes in a large area of the national park until recently drowned in a dense growth of smothering grasses are now crossed with horse paths and they turn into a flowery oasis full of rare plants and insects right before our eyes,” added Stejskal a total of nine reserves of large ungulates have been established in the Czech Republic The former military area of Milovice still remains the largest area where wild horses share the reserve’s 230 hectares with European bison and back-bred aurochs wild horses are also helping solve situations that nature conservation has not been able to cope with before the Josefovské louky Bird Park has been addressing the issue of the overgrowth of dense wetland vegetation in the spring when this reserve is meant to serve meadow birds Waders prefer exposed areas rather than tall dense vegetation “The influence of wild horses imported in 2018 surprised even the ornithologists Not only do they graze the stiffest wetland plants perfectly in time where they bite off the sprouting grass at the bottom with an unpretentious appetite This prevents vegetation overgrowth in places where waders look for food,” says bird park manager Brenek Michalek from the Czech office of Birdlife International Scientists also appreciate the creation of reserves of large ungulates “It is positive that this effective way of caring for the landscape is beginning to gain ground in the Czech Republic these are still small reserves compared to similar projects abroad similar grazing reserves are spread over an area of up to 1,860 hectares Reserves of large ungulates in the Czech Republic should also go in this direction for many good reasons,” noted Miloslav Jirku from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences so-called natural grazing of large ungulates provides a solution to some of the current problems facing the today’s changing world “It is not only nature-friendly care of the landscape but also a rational response to the growing need for long-term sustainability and independence from fossil fuels Compared to other ways of caring for the landscape natural grazing is cheap and large ungulates need only the local vegetation to graze large mountainous waterlogged and otherwise demanding terrain “Not only do they use no fossil fuels to maintain the landscape result in improving soil health and thus the ability of the landscape to retain water and prevent fires by removing highly flammable grass biomass,” said Miloslav Jirku mentioning a few of the many positive impacts of large ungulates on nature The number of reserves for large herbivores should continue to increase in the future national parks and cities or regions from other parts of the republic are coming to us so large ungulates will start helping with the care of the landscape in other regions as well,” Dostal concluded.  The international impact of the Czech programme for the return of large ungulates does not mean only the provision of animals to the reserves abroad a domestic branch of the European Bison Conservation Centre the international organization for the protection of European bison was established as part of the cooperation of the Czech Landscape organization with scientists from the Biology Centre of the CAS we have been heavily involved in the preparation of a new edition of the so-called Bison Action Plan It is an important document that defines the strategy for the largest mammal in Europe for the coming decades It is a breakthrough document because it fundamentally changes the international protection of the bison as well as the management of its herds and populations across the continent,” emphasised Jirku was created in the former Milovice military area in 2015 It became the first place in the world to provide a joint home for three key native species of large European herbivores: wild horses The project has been rewarded with several prestigious prizes such as the 2020 SDG award (for sustainable development goals) in the Climatic Change category The European Wildlife conservation organisation is currently organising a campaign to complete the unique reserve The public and the business community can make donations as part of a charitable fundraising project on the website eurowildlife.org/donate the location became the first place in the world where three key species of large ungulates – wild horses European bison and back-bred aurochs – are found in one reserve The reserve has grown from initial 40 hectares to 230 hectares and another 120 hectares are to be incorporated in its final phase Czech Republic (AP) "” Twenty-five years ago it was a military zone where occupying Soviet troops held exercises Today it's a sanctuary inhabited by wild animals that scientists hope will improve biodiversity among local plants as well as save endangered species A herd of 14 wild mares from Britain's Exmoor National Park were moved in January to the former Milovice military base After an acclimatization period at a small enclosure the horses were released Saturday to a 40-hectare (99-acre) area Their task is to stop the spread of aggressive and evasive grasses "” including bushgrass "” that are delicacies for them The invasive plants began to grow after Soviet troops withdrew in 1991 said scientists decided that using big-hoofed animals such wild horses which "maintained the steppe character of nature across Europe for thousands of years," could solve the invasive plant problem in the most effective way That should also help some 30 threatened species in the area including the Mountain Alcon Blue butterfly and the Star Gentian flowering plant "Alternatives to wild animals are very expensive and their impact on the environment is not very good," Dostal said Domestic animals such as sheep were ruled out because they would feed on the endangered plants "(The horses) will move freely on the pastures the whole year If they have a source of water and enough space They are able to care of themselves," Dostal said Environmentalists are already planning to expand the territory and use other big-hoofed animals such as European bison The Soviet army that stayed after the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of then-Czechoslovakia was the last armed force in the area Dostal said the soldiers' activities actually simulated the impact of hoofed animals a reason why "military zones in the Czech Republic are the places with the best biodiversity." the steppe type of landscape surrounding the current large ungulate reserve at Milovice lacked one endangered butterfly species – the Adonis blue scientists have spotted them in the pastures again last year This makes it clear that this was not just the unique occurrence of a migrating specimen,” entomologist David Ricl said He has been monitoring butterflies in the former military area since 2016 The Adonis blue thrives in the type of environment that has been renewed by grazing wild horses and other large ungulates in the large ungulate animal reserve This means dry and floriferous short-stemmed steppes or steppe-forests with low and sparse vegetation this butterfly species is capable of flying longer distances This enables it to populate areas with suitable conditions for life,” added Miloslav Jirku from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences the Adonis blue used to be one of the most copious Lycaenidae in the lowlands and hilly areas of many European countries it disappeared from many of its original habitats The rescue of disappearing butterflies was one of the main reasons that the large ungulate reserve was established in the former military area of Milovice large ungulate grazing helps other species of flora and fauna “This is why we are glad that we have been successful both in increasing the number of rare species that have survived in the reserve and in contributing to the return of those that died out there many years ago,” said Dalibor Dostal director of European Wildlife conservation organisation Scientists have introduced one of the rarest beetles of central Europe to the former Milovice military training area The critically endangered horned dung beetle is considered extinct and it is found in the eastern part of the country at several last sites near Mikulov close to the border with Austria “The horned dung beetle is a coprophagous beetle and its larvae and adults feed on dung Historically it was found in the territory of the Czech Republic on pastures and in game parks of warm lowlands as well as in military areas,” explained Lucie Ambrozova from the Institute of Entomology of the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences In 2018 the Institute of Entomology was given permission for laboratory breeding of the horned dung beetle for elementary research and the scientists released individuals unused for research in the reserve for large herbivores in the former Milovice military training area “The conditions for selecting a suitable location included the historic presence of the species grazing with long-term good prospects and the presence of fairly numerous herds of herbivores without the use of veterinary chemicals,” added Miloslav Jirku from the Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences In April 2020 the scientists released a total of 150 individuals of the horned dung beetle in two waves The scientists discovered both the beetles and their holes this year as well “The beetles found did not bear signs of wear so we assume that these are individuals from the new generation that was born already in the reserve projections on their front legs or dulled horns in males,” Lucie Ambrozova added it is not by far certain whether the rare beetles will live in the site permanently The extreme weather of recent years creates extreme conditions for the small group of colonists it may take five or more years before we are able to assess whether the new population has increased enough to be viable,” emphasised Lucie Ambrozova It is specifically the return of animal and plant species that had become extinct in the former military training area years ago that is one of the key parts of the project of grazing of large ungulates “Large ungulates restore a varied mosaic in the landscape that is needed by a number of endangered organisms but the positive changes are of a long-term nature,” pointed out Dalibor Dostal director of the European Wildlife conservation organisation The important fact for the return of rare dung beetles is mainly that no chemicals that are currently common on pastures for farm animals are used on the pasture domestic animals cannot do without antiparasitics some of which are toxic for dung beetles and other organisms Wild ungulates in reserves do not need such veterinary drugs This is not only thanks to the large areas of pastures and a good immunity but also owing to the physical fitness of animals that live in natural conditions dung beetles feeding on faeces play an absolutely essential role It is because along with faeces they also remove infectious stages of parasites from the pastures It is natural prevention of parasitoses proven by millions of years of evolution,” Miloslav Jirku concluded which has become a surprise hit at the 2023 Academy Awards Adapted from Erich Maria Remarque’s novel of the same name as well as the 1930 ‘Best Picture’ winner directed by Lewis Milestone the German-language film establishes itself in contrast to the glitz of Hollywood war movies from the very start Providing a taste of war that lingers with nightmarish authenticity Berger’s film tosses you into the hellish landscape of the western front with terrifying attention to detail Keeping loyal to the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated novel the film tells the story of a teenage boy who enlists in the Imperial German Army despite being underage his enthusiasm soon dissipates when he comes face to face with the true horrors of war witnessing his friends fall victim to a concept that was once a fun thrilling childhood fantasy as the brutality of one of history’s most violent conflicts kicks in Brilliantly capturing the tormented landscape of the war the filming locations of All Quiet on the Western Front is a key question throughout The biggest question coming out of All Quiet on the Western Front is where on earth Berger filmed the grand battle sequences wherein the earth is made to look like a hellish otherworld Venturing a little outside the capital city of the Czech Republic the battle scenes were captured in the villages of the countryside Lišany and Milovice to shoot several moments involving villages A Soviet-era airport in Milovice was used as the main battlefield featured in the movie, with the production team digging hundreds of feet of trenches in the landscape. Speaking to Newsweek about the construction of the landscape about an hour outside of Prague…So we dug the trenches there and built a crater and the other craters and mounds and the burnt trees” The Hořín chateau was one of many historical castles used in the film with Sychrov Castle doubling up as a German command centre at the start of the film This came location is also used at the midway point of the film when the high-up German diplomat struts through the marvellous interiors of the command centre whilst attempting to convince his superiors to surrender Whilst the sweeping plains of Milovice and the many grand manor houses used in the movie were great for specific set pieces in the production of the movie the capital city of Prague was used for multiple moments that might have gone unnoticed Berger used the location to film many of the movie’s smaller moments such as the train scene where German and French forces meet to organise a truce and several other scenes of micro trench moments As well as the use of Barradov Studio, the architecture of Prague is also used as the backdrop for the home of the teenagers at the start of the movie. Speaking to Newsweek, the director explained his thinking behind using the capital of the Czech Republic but also it is slightly more economical to shoot there because you will find buildings that aren’t all renovated [there]”