The Local Switzerland

Camera traps uncover new wolf pack in Swiss canton of Valais

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 19:15:59 +0200

Remotely-activated cameras have captured footage of a wolf pack with seven cubs in the western Swiss canton of Valais, authorities said recently.

Watch: Rare sighting of raccoon in downtown Zurich

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 12:16:41 +0100

A recent video showing one of the North American natives in Zurich has highlighted the arrival of an invasive species in Switzerland's largest city.

Swiss town cancels National Day fireworks because of bear

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 18:34:18 +0200

The Swiss mountain resort of Arosa has a new resident.

New sighting of brown bear in Bern region

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 23:06:14 +0200

A bear was spotted on Wednesday in the Siebenbrunnen area of the commune of Lenk in Bern, cantonal authorities have said.

Balloon pilot fined 'for scaring birds' in nature reserve

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 16:30:37 +0200

A hot air balloon ride in the canton of St Gallen turned into a very expensive outing recently after the pilot of the aircraft used a protected wetland site as a launch site.

Bear warning issued to hikers in Bernese Oberland

Fri, 25 May 2018 13:08:03 +0200

Hikers drawn to the Bernese Oberland this weekend by fine weather are being alerted to the chance of an encounter with a bear.

Robot lawnmowers a threat to Swiss hedgehogs

Thu, 17 May 2018 11:59:34 +0200

The machines have become a feature of Swiss gardens in recent years but they are not without their dangers.

Wolves at the door: animal spotted in canton of Zurich

Wed, 16 May 2018 12:37:53 +0200

A four-legged animal, captured in a photo by a member of the public in the canton of Zurich on Monday, is a wolf, experts have confirmed.

Bern's famous bears get gourmet honey upgrade

Fri, 20 Apr 2018 12:08:24 +0200

Nothing but the best is apparently good enough for Bern’s resident bears who have had their diet upgraded to include luxury, organic honey.

Brown bear strolls across Swiss ski slope

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 15:42:13 +0200

Workers at the Engelberg Titlis ski area in central Switzerland witnessed a highly unusual spectacle on Monday morning when a brown bear passed close by.

Wild bear spotted in canton Bern for the first time in 190 years

Tue, 30 May 2017 11:08:19 +0200

The canton of Bern is famous for its captive bears, and the majestic animal is even the canton’s emblem, appearing on its flag and coat of arms. But it’s been nearly two centuries since wild bear last roamed its land.

New fears for livestock after Swiss bear sighting

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 14:45:32 +0200

A hunter in the Swiss canton of Graubünden has reported seeing a bear in the Val du Roggiasca, part of the Val Mesolcina near the Italian border, the first bear sighting in that particular area since 1904.

Bear escape raises alarm at zoo near Lausanne

Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:36:00 +0100

Operators of a zoo near Lausanne are heaving sighs of relief after a bear weighing almost 300 kilograms was safely corralled after it briefly escaped from his compound.

Zoo preserves dead cub for school groups

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 15:40:00 +0200

A bear cub that was euthanized by Bern’s Dählhölzli Zoo in April is to be stuffed and displayed as part of the zoo’s educational offering.

Zoo faces cruelty charges over cub deaths

Thu, 17 Apr 2014 17:38:00 +0200

A Swiss animal lover has filed a legal complaint against Bern zoo, accusing it of cruelty over the deaths of two bear cubs. Dählhölzli zoo could be fined under Switzerland’s tough animal protection laws.

More bears, wolves on the prowl in Switzerland

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:35:00 +0200

Wild animals including bears, wolves and jackals are on the increase in Switzerland, a government agency said Friday, as it reported a spike in the figures across the country.

Rangers: injured bear dangerous after train crash

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:48:52 +0200

Swiss experts have warned that a bear that first appeared in the Lower Engadine region, may become more dangerous after it was hit by train on Monday evening travelling from Scuol to Samedan.

Fire-starter bear leads police to murder victim

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:39:56 +0200

At the scene of a fire, started when a bear knocked a tree into an electricity pylon, police found a near-naked dead body on the border between Austria and Switzerland.

Easter bear snagged and tagged

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:59:00 +0200

The bear that has been roaming around since the Easter weekend stealing honey and mauling a goat has now been tagged with a tracking device.

Swiss family makes rare bear sighting

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:18:33 +0200

In a rare sighting, a bear was spotted at Scuol in the Lower Engadine in eastern Switzerland on Saturday.