Pašiliai Bison Reserve

European bison were extinct in the wild by the 1920s and survive only through captive breeding, and Lithuania's contribution began at Pašiliai, where animals brought from Poland in 1969 established a herd in a large forest enclosure in the Krekenava regional park. Animals from here have been released into the surrounding forests, and a free-living population now exists in the Panevėžys area, occasionally causing problems with farmers. The reserve keeps a group in an enclosure of several dozen hectares with a viewing area and feeding points, and the animals come close, particularly in winter when they are fed. They are very large, up to a tonne, and seeing one at a few metres is the point of the visit.

What you actually see

• European bison - the herd in a large forest enclosure.
• Feeding points - where the animals come close, especially in winter.
• Krekenava forest - the pine and mixed woodland of the regional park.
• The reintroduction story - the herd behind Lithuania's free-living population.

When to go

April to October for the walk and the surroundings; winter feeding brings the animals closest and is when sightings are most reliable. Mornings are better than the middle of the day.

Honest expectations

This is an enclosure, not wild bison watching, though the free-living animals nearby descend from it. The bison may be far from the viewing area. Facilities are minimal. The reserve is small and the visit short.

Nearby

Krekenava lies east; Panevėžys is beyond it.