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News from Sihlwald and Langenberg
Underwater worlds in the middle of a natural forest?
Our spring tip: Examine tree stumps, deadwood fungi, lichens and mosses up close for once.
In addition to a simple magnifying glass, all you need is time and leisure. Discover unexpected worlds: Viewed through the magnifying glass, the structures of a decaying tree stump are reminiscent of underwater worlds. Lichens and mosses that look like corals through magnifying glass will impress the explorers. What does a mushroom remind you of when viewed from below? There are no limits to your imagination.
4 winter tips for unforgettable animal encounters
1. to the ibex spectacle
Watch the kings of the Alps during the mating season. The male ibex "plead" for the favor of the females with a special posture: they tilt their heads back and raise their tails. The animals stick out their tongues in order to smell the female's scent hormones as well as possible.
2. clear view of lynx and wolf
Due to the season, many trees are bare - the shy lynx and wolves are therefore easier to spot than in spring or summer. With a little patience, the predators can be seen changing their hiding places or searching for food. However, as with all our animals, the same applies here: Patience and a bit of luck are the top priorities for successful animal spotting in the Langenberg.
3. watch out: hibernators!
Our marmots have crawled into their burrows and are hibernating - as are the dormice. The two bears save their strength during hibernation and sleep a lot. You will encounter all the other animals in the Langenberg even in the cold season - they have other strategies for surviving the winter well.
4. warm body and soul
Every Saturday and Sunday, you can warm your body and soul in our store by the bear enclosure: You will find cuddly toys for the little ones, games and toys as well as all kinds of souvenirs for your loved ones. With a little souvenir, you are sure to remember your visit for a long time to come!
"O Christmas tree" for the moose in Langenberg
Soon the moose will be doing particularly well again: every year after Christmas, hundreds of unsold Christmas trees become a feast for the animals - a sustainable and successful win-win idea with a long-standing tradition.
"The need for conifers in the zoo is great in winter. Our moose switch their diet from deciduous trees to conifers at the end of October. Conifers are also a popular change in the menu for other wild animals during the cold season. Przewalski's horses, deer, bison and ibex also like the prickly surprises," explains Martin Kilchenmann, Head of Animals at Zurich Wilderness Park. So what could be more appropriate than feeding unsold Christmas trees to moose? The success story of the animal Christmas tree recycling has a long tradition and has been practiced since the beginning of elk husbandry at Langenberg Zoo in 1969.
Update Corona protective measures
It's cotton candy time again in Sihlwald
The mysterious, long and delicate crystals of hair ice, reminiscent of tufts of hair, form exclusively on damp dead wood. There is plenty of it in the Sihlwald natural forest, where dead trees and branches are left lying around. However, not every dead branch forms the special ice shape on cold days.
Our food animals in the magazine Tierwelt
Every second issue of Tierwelt magazine features an exciting background report from a Swiss zoo. At the end of September 2021, the Zurich Wilderness Park will be in the spotlight. We show what it takes to offer the animals, which will later be fed to wolves, bears and lynxes, a species-appropriate life so that they feel completely at home.
Tierwelt is the largest animal and nature magazine in Switzerland. It is published weekly (every Thursday). You can order a trial subscription here.
Insects in the natural forest - a give and take
"The Sihlwald is home to many wood-loving insect species that depend on habitats that are as untouched as possible. Many of the most endangered beetles require thick deadwood and other typical natural forest elements," explains insect researcher Beat Wermelinger. Natural forests such as the Sihlwald thus enable a specialized 'species pool' to survive. They offer niches that managed forests do not have - but the reverse is also true: according to Wermelinger, for example, light-loving insect species are more common in forests where wood is regularly felled. In order to protect the many different insect species with very different requirements from extinction, both 'forest species' are needed. "As natural forests are scarce throughout Switzerland, reserves such as the Sihlwald are particularly important," says Beat Wermelinger.
Update Corona protective measures
Langenberg Zoo
Schnabelweg closed
Information on current trail closures on the Swiss hiking trail network that last longer than a week can be found here.
