Hateg, Romania

The reintroduction of the European bison (Bos bonasus) to Romania is largely regarded as a successful instance of 'rewilding' after the last wild living specimen had been shot almost 100 years ago. The team will investigate the complexities and moral conflicts that nonetheless arise. Feel free to watch this educational clip: Zimbrul – the return of a legend.

Dr. Alina Simona Rusu

Alina (biologist and psychologist) is currently Professor in the Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca (USAMV Cluj-Napoca) and board member of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO). She is the academic coordinator of the master’s degree program Ethology & Human-Animal Interaction. Her professional and research interests are: animal-assisted services, humane education, interdisciplinary curriculum development, applied ethology, evolutionary psychology and service-learning. She teaches several subjects, such as: “Animal Psychology”, “Animal Cognition and Consciousness”, “Animal-Assisted Therapy and Activities”, “Human Ethology”, “Animals in Society & Humane Education” and “Self-care in Animal-oriented professionals”. Dr. Rusu has received her PhD title in Natural Sciences (Animal Behavior) from University of Zurich, Switzerland, in 2004. Since 2007 to present, she was the director of several research grants funded by national and international agencies, most of them based on interdisciplinary approaches. The outcomes of these research projects, including those resulted from the successful coordination of several PhD theses in the field of Psychology and Sciences of Education, are reflected in her publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and conferences proceedings. From 2018 to 2024, she was one of the Fulbright Ambassadors for the academic community in Romania. She is involved in the coordination of various outreach events in collaboration with animal rescue organizations, such as “The Day of Human-Animal Interaction” #ZIOA (under the umbrella of World Animal Day).

Irina Frasin

I’m a researcher in the Institute of Social and Economic Research Gheorghe Zane, Romanian Academy, Iasi Branch. My basic formation is in philosophy and classical history. For about 10 years I have taught classical Greek philosophy and intercultural communication in the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi. Lately I began to focus my research on anthrozoology, moving from intercultural communication to interspecies communication. I recently graduated with a new master's degree in Ethology and Human Animal Interaction at USAMV Cluj-Napoca. At the moment, I am interested in studying cat-human relations and communication with a special focus on free-roaming cats and their place and role in their human communities. I am involved in organising of the yearly international symposium in anthrozoology  anthrozoology.acadiasi.org/en/home/ and I am co-editing the series of books Anthrozoology Studies (anthrozoology.acadiasi.org/en/books-2/).

Dr. Eugen Jurco

Eugen is currently an associated professor at the Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca. He is the discipline head of Cattle breeding and an expert in bovine production, farm planning and management. His professional and research interests involve dairy livestock, Romanian cows and water buffalo, milk biochemical characteristics, bovine welfare and overall livestock quality of life improvement, human-animal relationship, farm technology advances and so on. He is very passionate about bovines, as reflected in his work, writing, teaching and other related endeavours. He acquired valuable experience in training programs in Holland and Germany and served as director of the University Didactical and Research Station Farm. He teaches Cattle breeding and associated disciplines, as well as a number of disciplines related to the Ethology & Human-Animal Interaction master program, such as Anthrozoology. He recently published a scientific book called “Human-bovine interaction and impact on Quality of life” (in Romanian), in which modern aspects regarding these issues are thoroughly presented. He directed a research project involving water buffalo that brought back this species to the University farm and focus, and carried on with efforts in producing water buffalo quality reproduction material of national importance.

Dr. Alex Cuibus

Alex is a painter and animal science engineer, with a PhD in Fine art and a PhD-candidate in Animal science, concerning water buffalo ethology. His interests regard the behaviour of domestic animals, especially that of water buffalo. He also rears such animals on his countryside homestead near the city of Cluj-Napoca in Romania. Recently, he became an associate teaching assistant at the Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, teaching the practical work aspects of the disciplines: Cattle breeding, Handling and restraint of livestock and Animal Quality of life. He has been a member of the National Artist Union since 2015, and a member and coordinator of Agro Consulting Club in 2019. His studies involved extensive abroad studies via Leonardo da Vinci programs, Erasmus programs and a short scholarship in India offered by the ISC, concerning silkworm seed production. He has exhibited painting in Romania and Italy, and attended numerous group exhibitions. His scientific publications revolve mainly around water buffalo behaviour especially through his ongoing collaboration with an international team of researchers conducted by prof. D. Mota-Rojas in Mexico. He has also attended the on-line 10TH Asian buffalo congress in Nepal in 2021 with a work on water buffalo in art and culture.

Dr. Cristian Sitar

Cristian is a biologist and entomologist specializing in the taxonomy, ecology, and conservation of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera species. He is currently a senior curator at the Zoological Museum of Babeș-Bolyai University. Since 2018, he has been an associate researcher at the Emil Racoviță Institute of Speleology in Cluj-Napoca, where he focuses on monitoring cave fauna and studying the taxonomy and biology of cave beetles. In 2023, he joined the Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca as an associate professor in the Ethology & Human-Animal Interaction master’s program, where he teaches Conservation Biology. His research interests include species conservation, biodiversity, and the ecological dynamics of insect populations.

Cătălina-Daniela Răducu

Cathy is senior scientific researcher at the Gheorghe Zane Institute for Economic and Social Research, Romanian Academy, Iași Branch. Her research interests are social and political philosophy. She published, in the last 15 years, a book on the social construction of gender and numerous articles on feminism and gender equality. Since 2019, she has presented, at The Anthrozoology Symposium (anthrozoology.acadiasi.org/) several papers as part of a series called “On Women and Other Animals”.

Two activities are planned.

1. April 2025. Not open to the general public. A field trip to the European Bison Reservation in Hateg for documenting and collecting materials for sensory interactions (sound recordings, gathering a piece of substrate with a bison footprint etc.)
2. Starting on 24th of May 2025. One week of workshops and events in Cluj-Napoca at the exhibition room of the Zoological Museum of Babes-Bolyai University. There will be a multi-sensorial exhibition of artworks featuring bisons, engaging not just visitors' vision, but also their senses of smell and touch. In addition, visitors and in particular young people will be invited to draw in the natural size shape of a bison on a paper wall, to creatively assemble their reflections about the coexistence with the European Bisons.