A new arrival has appeared a Port Lympne, a new-born European bison calf.

This is the fourth female of the threatened species born at the wild animal park hear Hythe since May.

Bob Savill , head of hooftstock, said: “We are all over the moon with our new additions to the herd and it’s fantastic that in four months we’ve welcomed four calves.

“We’ve recently teamed up with other institutions in Europe to introduce bison to the Carphathian Mountains, in Eastern Europe, so these new girls are a very welcome addition to our herd.”

This species, also called the wisent, was once widespread throughout Europe and parts of northern Asia but was made almost extinct by 1900 because of widespread hunting for skins and horns and for sport.

The First World War and Russian Revolution then wiped out the last two herds.

But some survived in zoos and thanks to a captive breeding programme there are more than 3,000 today.

Several herds have been set up in semi-wild conditions in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Mr Savill added: “It’s incredible think that this species was once teetering on the brink of extinction. Every birth is a very welcome addition to the herd.”

This is the latest in a series of new faces at Port Lympne Reserve, formerly called Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, this summer.

Two new Carpathian lynx kittens, a male and female, were born in June.

And on August 11 a new Rothschild’s giraffe, Valentino, was moved into the animal park as a new home from Paignton Zoo in Devon.

Port Lympne changed its name in June since it opened the site’s Mansion Hotel, providing more accommodation for visitors.

The Carpathian mountain range is one of the last remaining wilderness regions in Europe. It overlaps Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary. Serbia and Romania.