Farmer fights to rescue bison herd from slaughter

A farmer has launched a campaign to bring a herd of bison to Worcestershire to prevent them from being slaughtered.

Mark Craythorne, who runs Balepack in Inkberrow, spotted the bovine breed - rare in the UK - being advertised by a Durham couple in their 80s who were struggling to look after them.

With an August deadline before they are killed, he set about securing a 30‑acre (12.1-hectare) plot of land for the herd of 13 females to call their new home.

However, to make his dream a reality, the farmer said he would need about £50,000.

"I fell in love with them, they're just magnificent creatures and they run and they hop on all four legs at the same time. They're just incredible to watch and I thought, we've got to try and do something.

"If we can get them here then we can open up a footpath around the woods where people can come and watch them and enjoy."

Balepack supplies hay for horses, and Craythorne said the last year had been the most challenging for the farming industry in 50 years.

He said: "It's really hit every farmer locally, the funds aren't there at all to do anything in farming, so the only way to make this dream happen is support.

"The local farmers gave me the woods and if we can get some help towards the fencing costs then I will have to find the rest of the money myself and make it happen."

Craythorne has launched an online fundraiser for donations towards the project.

He added: "It's going to be around £20,000 or so for the fencing and then we've also got the handling systems because they're dangerous wild animals - you have to have special handling systems in place.

"It's probably going to cost about another £25,000 to bring them down here on the back of a livestock truck."

The farmer is no stranger to looking after animals and currently cares for a herd of 15 pedigree Charolais cattle, four emus, pigs, alpacas and sheep.

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