In the unspoilt forests of the Oder Delta, where mist lies over the marshlands and the wind blows through ancient oaks, bison roam the undergrowth. The largest surviving species of wild cattle in Europe was once almost extinct. Today they are making a comeback. The Oder delta, a mosaic of wetlands, river arms and meadows, is the setting for one of Europe's most important rewilding projects.

Marzena Skubatz's photographs not only show the impressive animals, but also the changing landscape. Her images tell of the stillness of the morning, when the animals' breath becomes visible in the cold air, of the power of a bull breaking through the bushes and of the deep connection between animals and nature. They show the return of a creature that once merged with the forests before almost disappearing.

Life in this region is harsh, the winters are cold. Snow covers the landscape and the Oder freezes over. This is when the bison are at their most vulnerable. But they follow a rhythm that is older than any border or road. They are witnesses to a time when Europe was wilder.
Rewilding not only means the return of the animals, but also a new relationship between man and nature. The bison in the Oder delta remind us that wilderness is not something distant, but something that can emerge again - if we let it. Their dark eyes reflect the past and perhaps also the future of a landscape that is not yet lost.

For a long time, the wilderness had been tamed. The forests were cleared, the wetlands drained. The return of the bison is a sign that nature can renew itself if it is given the space. But the balance is fragile. Humans are both observers and part of the landscape. People in the region must learn to live with the bison, to see them as part of their heritage and not as a threat.