Pašiliai, Panevėžys District Municipality
Krekenava Regional Park
European bison enclosure with a viewing platform
Pašiliai Forest, Ramygala Eldership, Panevėžys District
55.55800, 24.21700
1-2 hours with the forest and trail
during bison feeding, early morning, or evening, when the animals are most active
Pašiliai Forest State Bison Enclosure
Pašiliai Bison Enclosure: cradle of bison restoration
Pašiliai Bison Enclosure is in Krekenava Regional Park, in Pašiliai Forest, Panevėžys District. This is where European bison restoration in Lithuania began: a state bison enclosure was established here in 1969 and became the starting point for the country's whole bison herd. Visitors can see Europe's largest land animal from a viewing platform.
Saugoma.lt stresses that Krekenava Regional Park is the only protected area in Lithuania where a free-ranging European bison herd can be encountered. The enclosure is therefore not only a fenced display but the centre of the broader conservation story.
How bison returned to Lithuania
In the territory of present-day Lithuania, the last bison disappeared in the mid-eighteenth century. Across Europe, wild bison were exterminated after the First World War, with only a few surviving in zoos. The return of bison to Lithuania was initiated by zoologist A. Mačionis.
After the enclosure was established in Pašiliai Forest in 1969, breeding animals were brought from the Oka Terraces Reserve; by 1972 ten had arrived. Lithuania's current bison population grew from this founding herd, and later some animals were released into the wild, and the number of free-living bison in the country grew rapidly.
European bison: Europe's largest animal
The European bison (Bison bonasus) is Europe's largest land animal. Males grow up to 3.5 m long and about 2 m high, weigh 700-1000 kg, while females are smaller; they live about 22-27 years, and the rut in Lithuania occurs in August-September.
The bison is a protected species, listed in both the international Red List and Lithuania's Red Data Book. Pašiliai is therefore a conservation object, not just entertainment, helping preserve the species and improve genetic diversity.
Enclosure and free-ranging bison
The enclosure covers about 50 ha. A roofed viewing platform, shelters, and a nearby forest nature trail are arranged by the fence. Feeding time is usually best for seeing the animals, as they come close to the fence.
The number of bison in the enclosure and in the wild changes constantly, so exact counts should be treated as approximate. Some bison raised at Pašiliai are moved to other areas, such as Dzūkija National Park, to broaden genetic diversity.
How to visit Pašiliai Bison Enclosure
The enclosure combines well with the Krekenava Regional Park visitor centre and other park objects. For the viewing platform and forest trail, 1-2 hours is usually enough. Keep a safe distance and never climb over the fence: these are powerful wild animals.
During research, official pages did not clearly state current visiting and feeding times or any visitor ticket, and these may change. Check up-to-date information with Krekenava Regional Park administration before travelling.
