The first wild bison born in the UK for thousands of years is bounding around in Kent woodland following a surprise birth.

The arrival of the cute calf came as a shock to rangers overseeing a groundbreaking project, which has seen a herd of European bison make West Blean and Thornden Woods, near Canterbury, their home.

Due to the mammals' ability to show no obvious signs of pregnancy - and the fact there is no bull among the herd - the birth was totally unexpected.

The mother - who came over from Ireland - would already have been pregnant before setting foot in Kent back in July.

Ranger Tom Gibbs said: “It is difficult to detect pregnancy in bison as they naturally conceal being in calf to avoid being hunted by predators. It is a survival mechanism.

“These animals are wild, so we want to remain as hands-off as possible, but their welfare is at the absolute heart of what we do. She is being observed by experts and we are constantly monitoring the whole herd to ensure their wellbeing.

“We always hoped that the bison would breed, but it is fair to say we were not anticipating it quite so soon."

Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust, the two partners working together on the rewilding project, hope to introduce a bull from Germany in the coming months.

The herd is then set to "breed pretty quickly".

Mark Habben, director of zoo operations at Wildwood, said: "When the bison took their first steps into the wild just weeks ago, it was hard to imagine that anything could come close to the elation we felt in that moment. But here we are celebrating the arrival of a bison calf.

"Groundbreaking projects like this, by their nature, always carry an element of the unexpected but this addition to the herd has come as a significant surprise, albeit a very welcome one.

"Unlike domestic cattle, bison show very few signs of pregnancy and it is not uncommon for them to travel without impact to their welfare. When the herd arrived they were calm and settled quickly, a sign that the transportation process had not put them under significant duress.

'We are delighted that mother and calf are both doing well and look forward to watching the herd continue to grow and flourish in the coming months."

Bison act as 'ecosystem engineers', creating light and space for wildlife to thrive in the ancient woodland through their natural behaviours.

The animals, which can weigh up to one tonne, eat bark and push over trees by rubbing up against them.

They eat up to 35kg of vegetation a day and leave behind nutrient-rich dung that attracts insects - allowing birds to feast off the manure.

The £1.1 million project is the first of its kind in the UK and hoped to be a trailblazer for other areas to follow suit.

Hollywood legend Leonardo DiCaprio is among those to have hailed the scheme in recent months.

The baby bison was discovered on September 9 - two days after the mother took herself off to an isolated spot. The birth was kept under wraps owing to the death of the Queen the previous day.

Paul Hadway, director of conservation of Kent Wildlife Trust said: “This is an exciting development within a pioneering project.

“European Bison are an incredible species, which were on the brink of extinction after the First World War.

"To think that their numbers now swell beyond 9,000 is a true testament to the commitment and dedication of international breeding efforts and, as an organisation, Kent Wildlife Trust are privileged to now be part of that journey."

To donate to the Wilder Blean project, click here.

The first phase of the scheme was enabled through funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund.