Caucasian Wisent The Caucasian Wisent was a subspecies of wisent, the European bison, native to the Caucasus mountains in eastern Europe. Until the 17th century, Caucasian wisent was only threatened by predators such as the Asiatic lion, the Caspian tiger, wolves and bears. With the commencement of human settlement in these mountains, the range of Caucasian Wisent decreased considerably. At the same time these species were confronted by a new threat - poaching. Excessive poaching and loss of habitat depleted the wisent population to a great extent, with the number falling to less than 600 by 1917, and further down to less than 50 by 1921. The failure to curb local poaching resulted in the extinction of Caucasian Wisent, with the last reported individual being killed in 1927.
