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News from Sihlwald and Langenberg
©Wildnispark Zürich / Nils Kuhn
Fallow deer fawn
Baby Animals at Wildnispark Zurich
Young Animals at Langenberg Wildlife Park
In recent weeks, there have been numerous baby animals at Wildnispark Zurich. Visitors can see, for example, three European bison calves, a Przewalski foal, numerous ibex kids, and wild boar piglets.
A trip to Langenberg Wildlife Park is especially worthwhile right now: You can currently see babies among several animal species. For example, several playful ibex kids are climbing around on the rock wall. The european bisons have had three calves this year, and a foal has been born among the Przewalski horses. The wild boar piglets, which were born at Easter, have grown a bit by now, though you can still easily recognise them by their striped coat patterns. If you have a keen eye, you might spot one of the little fallow deer fawns hiding in the grass somewhere in the enclosure. You’re sure to find plenty of “aww” moments.
Bye-bye spruce!
The Norway spruce die off.
At the moment, a historic event can be observed in the Sihlwald forest: The Norway spruce trees are dying. Anyone who visits the Sihlwald regularly will clearly notice: something is happening here!
A walk through the Sihlwald forest shows: The Norway spruce trees (picea abies) are dying. There are dry trunks everywhere; many trees have long been lying on the ground. There are many reasons for this development: the spruce - as the Norway spruce is also known - was artificially introduced to the Central Plateau. By nature, it grows at higher altitudes. However, this tree species does not tolerate heat and drought well, and global warming is causing it additional stress. The analysis of satellite images shows that over thirty percent of Norway spruce trees have died in the Sihlwald since 2018.
Donation for the ibex plant
Check handover from Coop
Today, Wildnispark Zurich is making a big splash in the Coop newspaper. The reason for this is a generous donation from the Coop Regional Council Central Switzerland-Zurich for the renovation of the ibex enclosure.
During the winter months, the Wildnispark Zurich extensively renovated the ibex enclosure. The enclosure is already over 75 years old and was therefore somewhat outdated. The Coop Regional Council Central Switzerland-Zurich supported the renovation with 10,000 francs. Many thanks for this!
©Frederic Desmette
Garden dormouse at Langenberg Wildlife Park
New Wildife Park residents
Instead of dormice, garden dormice will definitely be kept in the Wildnispark Zurich.
Since August 2025, two garden dormice have been living in the Müsli-Hüsli at Langenberg Wildlife Park. After the three edible dormice that previously lived in the enclosure died during last year's hibernation due to their advanced age, the Langenberg Wildlife Park initially took over two garden dormice from the Goldau Zoo on a temporary basis.
Przewalski's stallion from Wildnispark Zurich released into the wild in Kazakhstan.
It is a special moment for the Wildnispark Zurich Foundation: after months of acclimatization in a specially designed enclosure, the Przewalski stallion "Galvan", born in Wildnispark Zurich, was allowed to gallop into the wild in Kazakhstan.
A new reintroduction project for Przewalski's horses was launched in Kazakhstan in 2024. The reintroduction will take place in the Altyn Dala nature reserve in the center of Kazakhstan, in the so-called "Golden Steppe". Within five years, a total of around forty animals are to be brought into the reintroduction area in order to build up a sustainable new population. Now, the second small herd was allowed to leave the acclimatization enclosure. Among them is "Galvan", a stallion born in Wildnispark Zurich. He is accompanied by four mares - Csárdás, Cili, Bűbáj and Celeb. They originally come from the Hortobágy National Park in Hungary and have been brought together with Galvan to form a harem over the last 12 months. The first matings have already been observed.
The 2025 annual report is here!
Review of a successful year
The Wildnispark Zurich Foundation can look back on a successful year. The "25 years of the wild Sihlwald" anniversary brought a lot of attention to the only park of national importance in the canton of Zurich. Other highlights included the release of a lynx into the wild in Germany, the reintroduction of a Przewalski's stallion in Kazakhstan and the reintroduction of stone crayfish in the Sihlwald. The foundation also made an important contribution to the promotion of biodiversity in the Sihl Valley with ecological enhancement measures.
Last year, the Wildnispark Zurich Foundation had many reasons to celebrate. For example, the "25 years of wild Sihlwald" anniversary. For a quarter of a century, the Sihlwald has been allowed to transform itself back into a wilderness. The former commercial forest is now the largest natural forest reserve on the Central Plateau and a park of national importance - a milestone in the history of wilderness in Switzerland.
Missing female lynx reappears - with offspring
Vreni is alive!
Great joy at Wildnispark Zurich: Vreni, the female lynx released into the wild in the Thuringian Forest in August 2024, has had offspring. The joy is all the greater because the female lynx was long thought to be missing.
Wild lynx populations in Western and Central Europe are under severe pressure. The individual populations are sometimes very small and poorly interconnected, which threatens to genetically deplete the populations. Targeted reintroductions help to connect and strengthen the populations.
Sihlbrugg Station bridge closed
The bridge over the Sihl near Sihlbrugg Station will be closed from April 27 to October 2, 2026, due to necessary renovation work. No detour is posted. The Sihl can be crossed at Sihlwald and at Sihlbrugg (village).
Leash obligation in the forest and at the edge of the forest
General leash obligation on the Sihluferweg from 1 April to 31 July.
Wild animals are particularly susceptible to disturbance during the breeding and settling season. Therefore, according to the hunting law of the Canton of Zurich, dogs must be kept on a leash in the forest and at the edge of the forest from April 1 to July 31.
We are committed to the conservation of European bison in the wild
The Wildnis magazine is here!
Our "Wildnis" magazine is now available again at Langenberg Wildlife Park and the Sihlwald Nature Discovery Park Visitor Center.
