The Geneva police confirmed information published in the Le Matin Dimanche paper on Sunday but warned that there were no guarantees this approach would work.
The two eagles should be operational this year, said Silvain Guillaume-Gentil, spokesperson for the Geneva police. He added that the eagle is a wild animal, the training is long and tedious, and results are not predictable.
A few months ago, the Geneva police acquired two eagle eggs which hatched successfully. The idea of integrating eagles into the Geneva police force to intercept drones was mooted last spring.
Similar projects have been launched elsewhere but are still untested in real-world situations. The French army is training Golden Eagles for this purpose but the Dutch police recently abandoned their anti-drone eagle programme after the birds of prey repeatedly disobeyed orders.
Drones in police force
The use of UAVs was recently recommended by the ad hoc working group set up within the Conference of Cantonal Police CommandersExternal link (CCPCS). In the future, drones could potentially be used “just as well as vehicles or helicopters,” said a spokesperson to the SonntagsZeitung paper. Ten police forces are already using Kopter crafts to monitor accidents or search for missing persons in Switzerland. Other cantons are evaluating the possibility of acquiring such equipment in the near future.
More
More
More drones in Swiss skies mean more risks
This content was published on
This summer in Switzerland, drone sales are expected to grow – adding to pressure for tighter security and rules.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
An atomic ‘tick-tock’ with Swiss technology heads to space to test the Einstein effect
This content was published on
On Monday, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the ACES set of atomic clocks to measure the effect of gravity on the passage of time.
Swiss Guard swearing-in ceremony postponed following Pope Francis death
This content was published on
The swearing-in ceremony of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, which usually takes place on May 6 each year, has been postponed to a date to be announced next autumn.
Swiss medical device maker Ypsomed to sell diabetes business
This content was published on
Bern-based injection device manufacturer Ypsomed announced on Tuesday that it was selling its diabetes-related activities.
Award-winning Swiss author and scholar Peter von Matt dies aged 87
This content was published on
The Alemannic writer and former professor of German literature Peter von Matt died on Monday in Zurich at the age of 87, following a long illness.
Swiss foreign minister spoke with Iranian counterpart about US dialogue
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has spoken with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi about the current dialogue between the US and Iran.
Swiss foreign minister appeals for cohesion and dialogue at Expo in Japan
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis called for cohesion and dialogue at the opening of the Swiss National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, on Tuesday.
Switzerland postpones launch of emergency number for domestic violence victims
This content was published on
The launch of the “142” emergency number, which aims to help victims of domestic violence in Switzerland, has been postponed to May 2026.
This content was published on
The steel bridge connects two sections of a walking trail between Grächen and Zermatt in the south of the country, on the Europaweg trail – a high-altitude route taking in views of some of Switzerland’s highest peaks such as the Matterhorn. At 494 metres, the “Europa” bridge overtakes the “Titan-RT” in Germany as the world’s…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.