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News from Sihlwald and Langenberg
Hedgehog listed as an endangered species for the first time
On the IUCN Red List
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the number of Western European hedgehogs – also known as brown-breasted hedgehogs or western hedgehogs – is in sharp severe. They have classified the animal as «potentially endangered» on their Red List of Threatened Species for the first time.
The Western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) can be found in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia and Great Britain, among others. Over the past ten years, the number has declined by between 16 and 33 percent, depending on the country. In Flanders in Belgium and in Bavaria, it has even fallen by 50 percent. As hedgehogs only have offspring once a year, protecting their habitats is all the more important!
Winter season - adjustment of opening hours
The visitor center and the nature museum are closed during the winter season. In addition, the animal enclosures, the Langenberg West park area, the Langenberg restaurant and the store at Langenberg WIldlife Park have adjusted opening hours. Customer service will also have reduced contact hours.
Customer service
Lynx Vreni from Wildnipark Zurich has settled in well in Germany
At the end of August, a female lynx that was born in 2023 at Langenberg Wildlife Park in Langnau am Albis was released into the wild in the Thuringian Forest. The animal, named Vreni, has adapted well to life in the wild and has already killed several deer.
Vreni, the female lynx born at Langenberg Wildlife Park, was released into the wild in Germany around a month ago. Now there is good news: "She is doing very well, our young Swiss lynx!" reports Markus Port, project coordinator of "Luchs Thüringen". Initially, she killed small prey animals, but she has now also been able to take several deer. "So although Vreni has never been able to hunt a deer before as an enclosure animal, she is already doing this very successfully and her prey behavior is hardly any different from that of a lynx born in the wild," explains Markus Port.
Stone crayfish released into the wild in the Sihlwald forest
This afternoon, 40 stone crayfish were released in the Sihlwald. This native crayfish species is highly endangered. With this reintroduction project, the Foundation Wildnispark Zurich is helping to promote biodiversity in Switzerland.
Crayfish used to be widespread in Switzerland. However, the four native species are now under severe pressure. In 2011, the federal government launched the "Swiss Crayfish Action Plan". This proposes various measures to protect the native crayfish species. These include, among other things, colonization and reintroduction in suitable bodies of water.
Wilderness day in the Sihlwald
An exciting event for the whole family: a wildlife day will be held in Sihlwald on September 29. The focus is on the magnificent sand lizard, hedgehogs, wild bees and other small animals.
The Wildlife Day in Sihlwald offers fun, games and exciting nature knowledge for the whole family on the Sunday after next. The focus is on the magnificent sand lizard, hedgehogs, wild bees and other small animals.
Lynx from Wildnispark Zurich released into the wild in Germany
The wild lynx in Western and Central Europe are threatened by inbreeding. The existing populations need to be better connected to ensure regular genetic exchange between them. For this reason, a female lynx that was born in 2023 at Langenberg Wildlifepark in Langnau am Albis was released into the wild yesterday evening in the Thuringian Forest.
In spring 2023, two female lynx were born at Langenberg Wildlifepark. Even back then, they were seen as hopefuls who could help preserve the Eurasian lynx in Europe, as the Zurich Wilderness Park participates in the European conservation breeding program for the lynx. Yesterday evening the time had come: one of the two sisters was released into the wild in the Thuringian Forest.
Rescue service practises at Langenberg Wildlife Park
On Wednesday, August 14, Schutz & Rettung Horgen will be carrying out various emergency drills at Langenberg Wildlife Park.
Don't be startled. On Wednesday, August 14, rescue workers from Schutz & Rettung Horgen and the Langnau am Albis fire department will be training for emergencies at Langenberg Wildlife Park with the help of the animal keeper team. Various emergency scenarios are practiced at several spots in the Wildlife Parl. Some sections of the paths or access to the animal enclosures may therefore be temporarily restricted.
Young otters in Wildnispark Zurich
The otter enclosure of Wildnispark Zurich in Sihlwald has been enriched by another attraction: two young otters (Lutra lutra) have been on display here for a few days now. The otter is an endangered species in Europe; the Wildnispark Zurich Foundation participates in the international conservation breeding program of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA).
Otters are among the public's favorites at Wildnispark Zurich. Now there is good news about the charming «water marten»: the otter couple, who has been living in the near-natural enclosure in Sihlwald since 2022, has had offspring. «The young were born on 18 May,» explains Martin Kilchenmann, Head of Animals at Wildnispark Zurich. Their sex is not yet known.
National Holiday, Thursday, 1 August 2024
To protect the animals, the setting off of fireworks is prohibited on the grounds of the Langenberg Wildlife Park and in the Sihlwald Nature Discovery Park. Langenberg Wildlife Park closes at 6 pm on this day.
Fireworks pollute the environment with particulate matter and waste, bring with them the risk of forest fires and cause stress for animals. The noise, smell and glow of fireworks cause wild animals to panic. We want to avoid all of this. For this reason, setting off fireworks is prohibited on Thursday, 1 August, both at Langenberg Wildlife Park and at Sihlwald Nature Discovery Park.
Rare beetle discovered in Wildnispark Zurich
Bolitophagus reticulatus is a very rare, demanding beetle species and only lives in areas where nature is allowed to be pristine. Where dead and weakened trees are not removed from the forest and tinder fungi thrive as a result. At the end of June 2024, the beetle was detected in Sihlwald by a researcher from Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH. This is the first record in the canton of Zurich, and it has also rarely been sighted in the rest of Switzerland. The species had presumably been almost extinct in Switzerland for decades.
The Sihlwald Nature Discovery Park is the largest natural forest reserve in the canton of Zurich. Since 2000, the former commercial forest has been allowed to revert to a wilderness. Dead trees are not removed here. This has a positive effect on biodiversity. For example, the tinder fungus can be observed more and more frequently on the trunks of dead beech trees in the Sihlwald. Its fruiting body serves as a food source and habitat for numerous insect species, in particular Bolitophagus reticulatus, the notch-necked tinder fungus beetle. This beetle grows to around 6 to 7 millimetres in size and is a clear indicator of a forest's closeness to nature.
