The Swiss Wolf Group’s latest study indicates that 98 wolf packs were active in Alpine regions between May 2017 and April of this year, 23 more packs than the previous year. Four of the packs are roaming in Switzerland – two in canton Valais and one each in Graubünden and Ticino – amounting to between 30 and 40 animals.
The increase is more dramatic than in previous years, when the wolf population had grown by between 10 and 15% annually, according to the Swiss Wolf Group. The organisation said this change indicates new “exponential growth” among the Alpine wolf population.
Wolves were nearly extinct in Europe before the first ones began reappearing in the Alps and in Switzerland in the mid-1990s.
The 30-40 wolves currently living in Switzerland are protected under the Council of Europe’s Bern Convention, a binding international legal agreement. Wolves may only be hunted if they kill more than 25 farm animals within a month.
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Should an area in south-western Switzerland be a predator-free zone? A local initiative wants to eliminate protected species like wolves.
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The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
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Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
Precious archaeological vases and coins returned to Italian museum
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The Italian authorities have recovered over 2,500 precious ancient coins, vases and small sculptures that had been illegally dug up and sold in Switzerland, Eurojust announced on Monday.
PrimeEnergy Cleantech declared bankrupt by Swiss authorities
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PrimeEnergy Cleantech has been officially declared bankrupt, the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (SOGC) reported on Monday.
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The consumption of antibiotics has risen in Switzerland since the Covid-19 pandemic. However, compared to other European countries the Alpine country has one of the lowest levels of antibiotic usage.
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Swiss museums to mark centenary of death of painter Félix Vallotton
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Swiss museums will celebrate the centenary of the death of the artist Félix Vallotton (1865-1925) next year. A major retrospective is planned in Lausanne, his birthplace, in autumn.
Russian mission installs more ‘spy’ antennas in Geneva, Swiss TV report claims
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Russian spies are strengthening their presence in Geneva, according to a report by Swiss public television, RTS. Russian officials have placed new satellite dishes on their diplomatic buildings without authorisation.
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Switzerland should join NATO, as in the future it cannot rely on its long-standing tradition of neutrality for its defence, John Bolton, Donald Trump's former national security adviser, declared in an interview on Sunday.
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A demonstration was held in Geneva on Sunday calling for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine. Around 50 Russians took part in the gathering outside the UN building.
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Emotions run high whenever this elusive creature appears. As wolves make a comeback in Switzerland, they spark feelings of awe and fear.
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