European Bison in Jankowice

Two bison from the forests of Pszczyna, the cow Planta and the bull Plebejer, were among the twelve animals from which the whole species was rebuilt after the First World War. The best place to learn their story is Jankowice near Pszczyna, where the Kobiór Forest District runs the Bison Breeding and Forest Education Centre with a free viewing enclosure. It is the only place in the Pszczyna forests where visitors can actually see bison.

History: deer for bison

In 1865 Prince Hans Heinrich XI von Hochberg of Pless struck a deal with Tsar Alexander II: 20 red deer from the Pszczyna forests for 4 bison from the Białowieża Forest – a bull and three cows. The animals were first kept in a small enclosure at Murcki and from 1891 in a game park covering some 11,000 ha of forest between Cielmice and Jankowice. The herd thrived so well that by 1918 it numbered 74 animals, and Kaiser Wilhelm II was among the guests at the prince's hunts. War and the Silesian Uprisings nearly wiped it out: only three injured animals survived – Plebejer with his tail shot off, the crippled Platon and Planta, shot in the thigh.

The Pszczyna line

The offspring of Planta and Plebejer founded the Pszczyna line – the names of its animals begin with the letters "PL". Their grandson Plisch was sent to Białowieża in 1936 and fathered 45 calves; fourteen of them were used to restore bison to the Białowieża Forest. At the turn of 1953 and 1954 foot-and-mouth disease killed 19 Pszczyna bison, and for a year and a half there were none left here. The herd was rebuilt with animals from Niepołomice, Smardzewice and Białowieża, and later animals were exchanged so that the Pszczyna line could return.

What to see

• A 10-hectare viewing enclosure of forest and meadow, home to bison of the Pszczyna line. Keeping them is also an experiment showing how inbreeding affects the animals' health.
• Żubrowisko Nature Reserve (744.77 ha, since 1996) – a closed, fenced area behind the enclosure where a herd of the Białowieża line lives in semi-wild conditions. The reserve itself is off limits.
• The "Land of the Pszczyna Bison" nature trail around the enclosure, with 16 information boards, benches and small structures.
• A viewing shelter and an education building where foresters run sessions for groups.

Practical information

Entry for individual visitors is free. According to the forest district's notice of June 2025, the enclosure is open from May to September Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00 and Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00, and from October to April Tue–Fri 10:00–16:00 and Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00 (until dusk); public holidays follow weekend hours. The centre is closed on Mondays. Address: Jankowice, ul. Żubrów 151 (Pszczyna municipality). Organised groups need to book in advance.

Tripto tip

About an hour is enough for a walk round the enclosure and a pause in the viewing shelter. Leave your dog at home – the rules ban dogs, as well as cycling on the site and feeding or disturbing the bison. Never climb the fence, even if the animals are far away. The forest district's website lists the education trail as being rebuilt, so check the latest notices before you go.