The UK’s first-ever Bison Ranger team has been unveiled to look after a herd of European bison being reintroduced in Kent woodland.

Kent Wildlife Trust and the Wildwood Trust discovery park near Canterbury unveiled the country’s first bison ranger team, funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, ahead of the reintroduction of a small herd of bison next year.

Tom Gibbs and Donovan Wright beat off competition from over 1,200 applicants around the world to start patrolling one of the UK’s largest areas of ancient woodland ahead of bison arriving there in 2022.

Gibbs and Wright will look after the country’s first conservation herd of European bison in a 200-acre area of Blean Woods near Canterbury.

Mark Habben, Head of Living Collections at Wildwood Trust, said: “We’re really fortunate to have welcomed Tom and Don, who are both so passionate about conservation and nature.

“In addition to working with the bison in the Blean woods, the rangers will work closely with the team at Wildwood Trust, whose expertise will be drawn on for a whole host of tasks, including bison health checks, as part of managing the bison at their new home in the Blean.

“We look forward to the positive impact that the bison will have when they move into the Blean woods next spring.”

The bison ranger team is part of the larger conservation project ‘Wilder Blean’.

The initiative aims to restore the ecosystem of the area’s ancient woodlands through nature-based solutions.

As well as four bison, longhorn cattle, Iron-age pigs, and six Exmoor ponies will be kept in a fenced area in West Blean Woods.

Stan Smith, Wilder Landscapes Manager at Kent Wildlife Trust said: “The Wilder Blean project, thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, is a first step to European bison becoming more frequently introduced for the restoration of ecosystems in Britain.

“The species is known as an ‘ecosystem engineer’ because of their ability to fell trees by rubbing up against them and eating the bark, creating space for a wide range of other species to thrive.

“Tom and Don will be getting to know these animals like no other, managing a wild herd of Europe’s largest living land mammal and developing an entirely new skill set which will enable the success of this and future wilding projects.”

Around 1,200 people applied for the bison ranger positions. The two new recruits were selected for their experience in conservation and work with wild animals.

Gibbs said: “I’m so pleased to have been chosen for the job, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Wright, who has over 20 years’ experience on some of Africa’s most famous reserves, said: “As well as dealing with the ‘Big 5’ – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo – I have experience working in some extremely remote locations and thinking on my feet.”