Protect Mountain Wildlife

Wildlife Advocacy

Join our campaigns to protect mountain wildlife and habitats.

Lynx Reintroduction

Support the return of the Eurasian lynx to Switzerland.

The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) has reestablished itself in Switzerland through dedicated reintroduction efforts and now persists as two core populations with an estimated total of around 250 individuals. These elusive forest dwellers occupy a mosaic of habitats across the Alps, the Jura and portions of the Central Plateau, where ongoing monitoring confirms a generally stable status.

Distribution and Population

Two main populations

The Swiss lynx population is split between the Jura Mountains and the northwestern Alps, with the Jura group stretching from Lake Geneva to Brugg and the Alpine group primarily along the north side of the Alps from Geneva to Lake Constance.

Population size and trends

Current estimates place about 250 wild lynx in Switzerland, including roughly 22–39 individuals in the Jura, where camera traps recorded 21 lynx and at least five pups from four litters last winter, indicating stable reproduction rates.

Range expansion

Since 2001 lynx have gradually colonized new areas such as the Upper Valais, Surselva and patches of the Central Plateau north of Lausanne, though habitat fragmentation and monitoring gaps mean occupancy remains uneven.

Ecology and Behavior

Habitat use

Lynx are primarily forest dwellers but increasingly utilize open alpine meadows and higher elevations; their sprawling territories can exceed 200 km² depending on prey availability.

Diet and hunting

They stalk prey mainly at dusk and night, with 88 % of their diet composed of roe deer and chamois, while red foxes account for about 4.3 %; they also take martens, wild boar, mice and marmots when available.

Reproduction

Mating occurs from January to March, followed by a ten-week gestation. Females rear two to three kittens in secluded dens between April and June.

Sensory adaptations

Tufts on their ears enhance hearing, allowing lynx to detect a mouse rustling at 50 m and a deer at 500 m, crucial for their ambush hunting style.

Conservation and Monitoring

Reintroduction history

At least 14 lynx were first translocated from the Carpathians in the 1970s and additional individuals were moved in 2001 to reinforce eastern Alpine populations, marking Switzerland among the earliest adopters of Europe's lynx reintroduction programmes.

Monitoring initiatives

The SCALP (Status and Conservation of the Alpine Lynx Populations) expert group and the European Lynx Online Information System (ELOIS) track distribution using a 5×5 km grid, distinguishing permanently from sporadically occupied cells based on recurring detections.

Threats and outlook

Long-term viability faces challenges from habitat fragmentation, low gene flow between subpopulations and road mortality. Continued habitat connectivity measures and coordinated Alpine-wide conservation are essential to sustain and expand Switzerland’s lynx populations.

Despite these pressures, the Eurasian lynx remains a conservation success story in Switzerland, demonstrating how targeted reintroduction and rigorous monitoring can restore an apex predator to its historical range.

Marmot Conservation

Help conserve habitats for alpine marmots and their burrows.

Alpine marmots in Switzerland benefit from long-term monitoring, scientific research and active management to ensure healthy populations across their mountain habitats. Although not currently endangered, they face pressures from habitat change, climate shifts and human activities that require coordinated conservation actions.

Status and Management

Alpine marmots (Marmota marmota) occur widely across the Swiss Alps and Jura, thriving in subalpine grasslands between 1 800 and 2 200 m altitude . Their social lifestyle—living in family groups and hibernating six to seven months per year—has been extensively studied by the Swiss National Park (SNP) and research institutes such as WSL and ETH Zürich, which conduct annual population surveys dating back to the 1960s .

Conservation Challenges

Habitat degradation: Alpine development, tourism infrastructure and agricultural expansion fragment marmot meadows and reduce suitable grazing areas .

Climate change: Warmer temperatures and altered snowmelt timing can disrupt marmot hibernation cycles and food availability.

Human disturbance: Increased trail networks and recreational use of alpine regions elevate stress and disturb breeding colonies.

Conservation Efforts

Population monitoring: SNP survey teams map burrow networks and count individuals each summer to track fluctuations and reproduction rates.

Habitat management: Protected areas like Wildnispark Zürich maintain managed grasslands and provide supplemental feeding during harsh winters to support local colonies .

Research integration: Studies on trophic cascades link marmot grazing to grassland ecology, informing land-use planning and biodiversity measures.

Regulated population control: In designated hunting zones, gamekeepers cull marmots during autumn to balance populations and protect pastures, following strict quotas set by cantonal wildlife authorities.

Public Engagement

Educational programs: Visitor centers at mountain rail stations and parks display live marmot families and interpretive exhibits on their biology and conservation .

Outreach campaigns: Local NGOs and nature reserves organize guided “marmot walks” and citizen-science projects, inviting hikers to record sightings and calls to support monitoring efforts.

Cultural recognition: Swiss National Museum exhibitions highlight the marmot as an Alpine icon, raising awareness of its ecological role and the importance of conserving its habitat.

Through this blend of science, management and community involvement, Switzerland maintains stable Alpine marmot populations while addressing emerging threats to ensure these charismatic rodents continue to flourish in their native mountain landscapes.