Every year, 4,000-6,000 Swiss sheep die after falling down mountains, becoming ill or being struck by lightning. In comparison, the number of sheep killed by wolves is small. Still, many are calling for canton Valais in south-western Switzerland to be a predator-free zone.
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A documentary and animation filmmaker from Bern, Michele studied film at Zurich University of the Arts. He's been a swissinfo.ch video journalist since 2004 and has a special interest in developing new video formats for mobile viewing, mixing animation and documentary styles.
Not content to mind her own business, Susan studied journalism in Boston so she’d have the perfect excuse to put herself in other people’s shoes and worlds. When not writing, she presents and produces podcasts and videos.
Raised for meat, milk and wool, Swiss sheep numbered about 340,000 in 2016. Of these, 389 were killed by wolves. The Swiss wolf population is estimated at 30-35 individuals.
Now a local initiative wants to eliminate species like wolf, bear and lynx – animals that are protected under the Bern ConventionExternal link. We ask locals whether there’s room for the wolf in their backyards. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)
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