A family of biodiversity boosting bison is now complete for Christmas after a bull from Germany finally arrived after being delayed by paperwork issues.

The arrival of the bull to the UK had been delayed for five months owing to post-Brexit complications.

The herd's matriarch and two more females were initially brought to West Blean and Thornden Wood, located between Canterbury and Herne Bay, in July.

But the arrival of the bull from the continent had been delayed by Brexit legislation and other animal related import issues.

However, the herd of free-roaming European bison have now finally been brought together following his long-awaited arrival.

The bull was released in torrential rain yesterday and will now join up with the others.

After catching his scent in the air, the females patiently waited in the corral until the gates slid open and they cautiously set foot into the woodland as a completed herd for the first time.

They then sniffed, nuzzled and ate together before retreating into the woodland.

The Christmas union was made possible thanks to the £1.1m Wilder Blean project, a joint wilding initiative between Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust.

Bison ranger Donovan Wright was on hand to capture the moment that the herd made their first steps together.

He said: “It was an incredible moment, the matriarch led the younger females into their new home, making a beeline for the sweet chestnut trees and tucking in right away.”

Following the arrival of the three female bison back in the summer, the rangers welcomed a calf into the herd as one of the females unexpectedly gave birth in September.

Two months later, the bison were released into the wider woodland, and all will now have access to over 50 hectares of forest in which to roam.

The project has been funded by a grant from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund.

And it has even caught the attention of actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, who has singled out the initiative for praise on several occasions on his social media.

Fundraising is also underway to raise money to build tunnels that will give the herd free-range of 200 hectares of forest.

Now a fully formed herd the bison will be left to roam the woodland and take on their role as eco-system engineers, where they will help to re-shape the landscape, encouraging new wildlife to grow through their natural behaviors.

By de-barking trees, dust-bathing and creating corridors through the dense woodland they bring light to the forest floor, making space for wildlife to thrive.

Mark Habben, from Wildwood Trust, said: "It's been incredible to see our vision come to life this year and to witness huge milestones such as the herd taking their first steps into the woods and the unexpected, but very welcome, arrival of the calf.

"I'm enormously proud of the team and all the work that has gone into getting us to this point, despite the red tape we've had to navigate and complications arising from Brexit.

"The arrival of the bull marks the start of the Wilder Blean journey in earnest and it's incredibly fitting that it coincides with a new year.

"I can't wait to see what the next twelve months will bring for this important project."

Stan Smith, from Kent Wildlife Trust, addedd: “The impact on the woodland forms part of a huge baseline monitoring programme, comparing and contrasting how the animals impact their part of the woodland, and we believe we will be able to show just how bison are engineering their environment, performing a role that no other quite can.

“We want to demonstrate that a hands-off nature-based solution exists to combat the climate and biodiversity crises we face and intend that the Wilder Blean Project will become a blueprint for other organisations to take forward.”