In 2019, officials released 17 water buffalo on a Danube island to restore nature. Years later, their pools and grazing were helping insects, fish and amphibians flourish

In 2019, 17 water buffalo from the Carpathian region were released on Ermakov Island in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta. The release was part of efforts to restore natural grazing on the island. Rewilding Danube Delta says the buffalo are well suited to the wet conditions of the region and can feed on poor-quality vegetation, including young reeds.

The buffalo open up scrub and reedbeds. Their activity also creates pools and puddles that provide habitats for insects, amphibians and fish. They can also help distribute seeds, carrying seeds from more than 200 plant species in their fur and digestive system.

Why 17 water buffalo were released on Ermakov Island

Ermakov Island covers about 3,500 hectares and is part of the Danube Biosphere Reserve. Restoration work on the island has included efforts to restore natural water exchange with the Danube.


Rewilding Danube Delta reported that 17 water buffalo and 23 Konik horses were released on Ermakov Island during spring and summer 2019.

Water buffalo are well suited to the Danube Delta. They adapt better to wet conditions and poor-quality vegetation than cattle, while their diet includes young reeds. Their grazing opens up scrub and reedbeds.

How water buffalo create habitats for insects, fish and amphibians

The buffalo also affect the landscape through their movement and digging.

Rewilding Danube Delta says the animals create pools and puddles that are home to many insects, amphibians and fish.

The buffalo also act as seed distributors. According to Rewilding Danube Delta, they can carry seeds from more than 200 plant species in their fur and digestive system.

Their grazing contributes to the mosaic landscapes that the rewilding project is seeking to restore.

How Ermakov Island is being restored in the Danube Delta

The restoration of Ermakov Island has also focused on restoring natural water exchange between the island's internal lakes and the Danube.

In 2021, 200 metres of dams surrounding Ermakov Island were removed to help restore natural water exchange between its internal lakes and the Danube. This continued earlier restoration work on the island.

Other large herbivores have also been introduced in the wider rewilding area, including Konik horses, red deer and fallow deer.

Ermakov Island becomes one of the Danube Delta's most biodiverse areas

Rewilding Danube Delta says Ermakov Island has become one of the most biodiverse parts of the Danube Biosphere Reserve following restoration.

The organisation's rewilding work on the island includes restoring natural water flows and bringing back large herbivores that contribute to natural grazing.

Six female water buffalo added to Ermakov Island in 2024

In 2024, six female water buffalo were brought to Ermakov Island to enrich the gene pool of the existing herd.

Rewilding Danube Delta said the existing herd had adapted well to the Delta's conditions and was reproducing annually.

The organisation also said the presence of water buffalo helps restore natural grazing, create mosaic landscapes and contribute to biodiversity on Ermakov Island.

Executive director of Rewilding Ukraine, Mykhailo Nesterenko, had explained at that time, "“In the process of natural grazing, carbon moves from above-ground vegetation to the soil through dung. This increases carbon accumulation in the natural system and reduces the frequency of fires,” adding, “That’s why we’re not only focused on restoring natural areas, but also on reintroducing animal species that once inhabited them. As part of our rewilding efforts, water buffalo, wild horses, and other large herbivores have been reintroduced to Ermakiv Island,” as quoted in a 2024 Rewilding Danube Delta report.