Latest news
News from Sihlwald and Langenberg
Renovation of the ibex plant
A new home for the King of the Alps
Joy reigns! The renovation of the ibex enclosure has been completed. The herd can now climb around on the newly renovated rocks again.
The ibex enclosure in Wildnispark Zurich is over 75 years old. As the structure is getting a bit long in the tooth, it has had to be renovated in recent months. Some of the striking rocks had become crumbly, and the flooring and fence also had to be replaced. In principle, however, the facility was retained in its current form, as both its size and design have proven their worth.
The beaver conquers the Sihl
Beaver: From the wilderness park to Biberbrugg?
Around 520 beavers live in 165 territories in the canton of Zurich, according to the latest beaver monitoring. The population is growing, mainly in the southern part of the canton. There are new beaver territories along the Sihl and Limmat rivers, for example.
200 years ago, the beaver disappeared from Switzerland due to intensive hunting. Thanks to reintroduction projects between 1956 and 1977, the population has developed well again. Today, almost 5,000 animals live in Switzerland.
Good News
Three lynxes have arrived safely in Germany.
Wildnispark Zurich has been involved in lynx reintroduction projects in Germany since 2024. Now the cubs born in spring 2025 have been brought to the coordination enclosure in the wild cat village of Hütscheroda
On Wednesday, February 4, the lynx trio born in spring 2025 arrived safe and sound in the wild cat village of Hütscheroda in Germany. There, the two females and the male will spend a few months in a special, so-called coordination enclosure.
Our 2026 event program is online!
The 2026 annual program offers wild herb and mushroom courses, family excursions, zoo brunches, discovery tours in the Sihlwald forest and behind the scenes at Langenberg Zoo and much more.
Sika deer
New breeding bull arrives
A new breeding bull from the Czech Republic was recently integrated into the herd of sika deer at Wildnispark Zurich
The sika herd is complete again! After thirty days in quarantine, a new breeding bull was recently integrated into the sika deer herd at Wildnispark Zurich. The bull originally comes from Ostrava Zoo in the Czech Republic and is two and a half years old. This means he is already fully grown; sika deer become sexually mature at 18 months.
Happy brown bear!
The oldest animal in Wildnispark Zurich is thirty years old!
A special birthday at Langenberg Wildlife Park: the male brown bear turns thirty in January. The exact date of birth is not known, as female bears give birth to their cubs hidden in a cave.
At the beginning of January, the oldest animal in Wildnispark Zurich turned thirty years old. The male brown bear was born at Langenberg Wildlife Park in 1996. He shares the enclosure with a female, who is also 25 years old and originally comes from Denmark. In the wild, brown bears can live between twenty and thirty years, although the average life expectancy is only around six years due to high cub mortality. In zoos, they sometimes reach an age of over 35 years.
Opening hours during the holidays
A visit to Langenberg Wildlife Park is also worthwhile during the festive season.
Langenberg Wildlife Park
On December 31, 2025, the main gate will close at 4 p.m. Pedestrian access will remain open.
The first Christmas for the Young Elk
Media release
Elks feed almost exclusively on conifers for months in winter. The young elk, which was born in June of this year, is already eagerly nibbling on silver fir, Nordmann fir and other trees.
Elks are gourmets. In winter, the elks at Langenberg Wildlife Park feed almost exclusively on conifers in addition to food cubes, just like their wild counterparts. "An adult elk eats 4 to 6 trees bare in winter – a juvenile perhaps half that," says Martin Kilchenmann, head of the animals department at Wildnispark Zurich. The nutrient-rich twigs, needles and buds are particularly popular. The animals prefer silver fir or Nordmann fir because they are less prickly. However, Norway spruce will also do in a pinch.
Langenberg Wildlife Park
Changes in the wolf pack
Since the beginning of December, only females have been living in the wolf enclosure at Langenberg Wildlife Park: the mother and four daughters. A new pack is to be formed later with a suitable male.
The six young wolves from the last two litters are at an age when they would leave their pack of origin in the wild. In human care, this step is carried out through appropriate management. One young male was transferred to Goldau Zoo. The second male cub had to be euthanized because it was not to be paired with its mother or sisters and no suitable place could be found for it in another zoo. This animal will be used for educational purposes at Wildnispark Zurich. Places in other zoos are still being sought for the female cubs.
Donations for the lynxes?
Release of young animals into strategically important regions
The "Einstein" program about the lynx Freya, who was born in Wildnispark Zurich and released into the wild in Germany, has generated a great deal of interest. Further information and a donation option can be found here.
"Einstein" accompanied a young female lynx from Wildnispark Zurich on her way to freedom - as a beacon of hope for her species in Germany. In our neighboring country to the north, lynxes are threatened with extinction.
