The European bison (Bison bonasus), also known as wisent (/ˈviːzənt/ or /ˈwiːzənt/) or the European wood bison, is a Eurasian species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the American bison. There have been three subspecies in the past, but only one survives today (see infobox).European bison were hunted to extinction in the wild in the early 20th century, with the last wild animals of the B. b.