This enclosed animal park around 4km west of Palace Park is your best chance to see an actual bison. It also holds several other species that are typical of the puszcza, including elk, wild boar, wolves and roe deer. You can also see the żubroń, a cross between a bison and cow, which has been bred so successfully in Białowieża that it is even larger than the bison itself, reaching up to 1200kg.
Another peculiarity is the tarpan (Equus caballus gomelini) , a small, stumpy, mouse-coloured horse with a dark stripe running along its back from head to tail. The tarpan is a Polish cousin of the wild horse (E ferus silvestris) that once populated the Ukrainian steppes but became extinct in the 19th century.
To reach the reserve by car, follow the main road, No 689, in the direction of Hajnówka for about 3km and look for the turn-off to the parking lot. By foot, take the green- or yellow-marked trails, both starting from the PTTK office, or the trail called Żebra Żubra (Bison's Ribs). You can also get here by horse-drawn cart – ask at the PTTK office for details.
