Animals in Switzerland
Alpine Ibex
Capra ibex
Switzerland has no national animal set by law, but the Alpine ibex is the one most closely tied to the country and is the heraldic animal of the canton of Graubünden. Hunting wiped it out in Switzerland in the early 1800s, and it returned only after young ibex were smuggled from Italy in 1906 and bred in St. Gallen. Today about 21,000 live on rocky slopes above the tree line.
View details→Wildlife in Switzerland
Switzerland is a small, landlocked country of about 41,000 square kilometers and some 9 million people, and the Alps cover around 60 percent of it. Most people live on the central plateau between Geneva, Bern and Zurich, while the mountain valleys are quieter and wilder. In a short trip you can go from the wooded ridges of the Jura in the northwest, across the lakes and farmland of the plateau, to the high Alps with their glaciers and peaks, where the Dufourspitze reaches 4,634 meters, and down to the palm trees and warm lakes of Ticino in the south. Winters are snowy in the mountains, summers mild, and from June to September the high pastures bloom and animals move up the slopes.
Dairy farming has shaped the land for centuries: every summer cattle are taken up to the alpine pastures, and the open meadows and forests below them give food and cover to wild grazers. The Swiss National Park in the Engadine, created in 1914, was the first national park in the Alps, and in 2001 the Jungfrau Aletsch area, home to the largest glacier in the Alps, joined the UNESCO World Heritage list. The country is also known for bringing animals back, from the ibex in the early 1900s to the lynx in the 1970s, while wolves returned on their own from Italy in the 1990s.
Visitors come for the Jungfrau region, Zermatt and the Matterhorn, the Engadine and the lakes of Lucerne and Geneva. The wildlife follows these contrasts: ibex, chamois and marmots on the high slopes, eagles above the peaks, deer, lynx and wolves in the mountain forests, and swans and storks on the lakes and farmland of the plateau.
Most Dangerous Animals in Switzerland
Wildlife in Switzerland poses little real danger, and most risks are easy to avoid. Wolves have spread across much of the Alps and live in more than 40 packs, but they avoid people; the conflict is with sheep and goats, which is why many alpine pastures now use electric fences and large guard dogs. Walk around flocks rather than through them and keep calm if a guard dog approaches. The lynx is very shy and poses no threat to people. Wild boar are common in the Jura, the plateau and Ticino, and a mother with young can charge if surprised, so keep dogs on a leash. Deer and boar cause many road accidents, especially at dusk. In the mountains, ibex and chamois sometimes knock stones loose on steep slopes, so keep your distance below them. The country's venomous snakes, the adder among them, live on sunny rocky slopes; bites are rare but need a doctor. Ticks are the most common health risk in forests below about 1,500 meters, and many areas recommend a vaccine against the brain infection they can carry.
Top 10 Animals in Switzerland
Switzerland's best known animals are easiest to find in a few well known places. Gray wolves of the Italian lineage, the Italian wolf, now live in packs across much of the Alps, especially in Graubünden, Valais and Ticino, but they are shy and rarely seen. The Eurasian lynx lives in the Jura and the northwestern Alps, and is even harder to spot. Red deer are easiest to see in the Swiss National Park, where the stags roar in late September and early October. The European wildcat hunts at night in the forests of the Jura. Hedgehogs wander through gardens and parks on the plateau. European adders bask on sunny rocks and scree in the high Alps. White tailed eagles visit the big lakes, mostly in winter. Storks nest on rooftops and poles in villages of the plateau from spring to summer, after being brought back from near extinction in the country. Peregrine falcons breed on cliffs in the Jura and the Alps. For an easy outing, alpine paths around the Gemmi Pass, Pontresina and the Swiss National Park often show ibex, chamois and marmots up close in summer.
Alpine Ibex
Capra ibex
Switzerland has the largest Alpine ibex population, around 17,000 animals in Swiss hunting statistics. Its last ibex was shot in Valais in 1809, and in 1906 kids smuggled from Italy's Gran Paradiso were bred in St. Gallen and released from 1911. The ibex is the heraldic animal of Graubünden, home to the Swiss National Park and the Piz Albris colony near Pontresina. Controlled hunting has been allowed since 1977. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Badger
Meles meles
The European badger is widespread across Switzerland, from the lowlands of the Mittelland to the forested slopes of the Jura and the lower valleys of the Alps. Clans dig setts in woods and field edges and forage at night for earthworms, insects, fruit and small animals. Badgers are well established on the edges of Swiss towns and cities, and their numbers recovered after rabies was controlled. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Chamois
Rupicapra rupicapra
The chamois, Gämse in German and chamois in French, is one of the most common large mammals of the Swiss Alps and also lives in the Jura. Both sexes carry short hooked horns, and the coat turns almost black in winter. Cantons manage hunting with quotas, and the Swiss National Park in Graubünden is one of the best places to watch chamois next to ibex and marmots. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hare
Lepus europaeus
In Switzerland, the European hare lives mainly on the farmland and meadows of the Mittelland, between the Jura and the Alps, and in some Alpine valleys. Numbers fell sharply after the 1960s with intensive farming, and in many areas hares became rare. Since the 1990s, ecological compensation areas such as wildflower strips and extensive meadows have been promoted to help hares and other farmland wildlife. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus
In Switzerland, the European hedgehog is widespread across the lowlands and lower slopes of the Alps, living in gardens, orchards and hedgerows of the central plateau, the Mittelland, and in towns such as Zurich. It hibernates through the alpine winter, usually from November to March. Swiss wildlife groups promote hedgehog friendly gardening, because road traffic and overly tidy gardens remain real problems at the local level. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
Gray wolves began recolonizing Switzerland naturally from Italy in the 1990s, crossing through the Alpine passes of the south. The Swiss wolf population has grown steadily and packs are now established in several cantons, including Graubünden and Valais. The species is protected under Swiss law, though ongoing conflicts with shepherds in the Alps have prompted debate about population management in areas where wolves prey on livestock. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Italian Wolf
Canis lupus italicus
Wolves returned to Switzerland naturally after dispersing from Italy through the western Alps, with the first confirmed individual recorded in 1995. Packs have since established themselves in cantons such as Graubünden and Valais. The Alpine packs are Italian wolves by descent, and the population is still small but growing. Wolves here hunt deer and chamois across steep Alpine terrain, and their management is governed by a national wolf concept that balances conservation with livestock protection.
Alpine Marmot
Marmota marmota
The Alpine marmot is native and widespread in the Swiss Alps, from the Bernese Oberland to Valais and the Engadine in Graubünden. It is one of the wild mammals hikers see most often in summer, especially in the Swiss National Park, where its whistles echo across the meadows. Families hibernate together for up to nine months a year. Marmots are still hunted under quotas in some cantons. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Pine Marten
Martes martes
In Switzerland, the pine marten lives in the forests of the Jura, the Alps and the Prealps, in beech, fir and spruce woods, and it reaches the upper limit of the forest in the mountains. It rests in tree holes and squirrel nests, hunts voles, squirrels and birds at night and eats berries in autumn. It is shy and keeps away from villages. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Stone Marten
Martes foina
In Switzerland, the stone marten is common across the Mittelland, in farmland, villages and cities such as Zurich and Bern. Swiss drivers know it well, because it climbs into parked cars and bites cables and hoses, damage that many car insurance policies cover; the habit was first noticed here in the late 1970s. It hunts rodents and birds and eats fruit. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Lynx
Lynx lynx
Switzerland was the first country to bring back the Eurasian lynx, releasing animals from Slovakia in 1971. Today about 300 lynx live in the Jura and the Alps, especially in the northwestern Alps of Bern and Fribourg, with smaller numbers in Valais and Graubünden. Swiss lynx have been moved to start or reinforce populations in Austria, Germany and Italy. Roe deer and chamois are its main prey. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Deer
Cervus elaphus
Red deer were wiped out in Switzerland by hunting in the nineteenth century and returned on their own from neighboring Austria into Graubünden. Today they are most numerous in the alpine valleys of Graubünden, including the Swiss National Park, and in the Jura, and they are spreading across the country. In winter they come down to lower valleys in search of food, and hunting keeps numbers in balance with the mountain forests. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
In Switzerland, the red fox lives almost everywhere, from Alpine meadows and mountain forests to farmland and the gardens of Zurich, Basel and Geneva. Switzerland pioneered oral vaccine baits against rabies in 1978 and was declared rabies free in 1999. After that, fox numbers grew, and urban foxes became common in Zurich from the 1980s, raising kits under sheds and in parks. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris
In Switzerland, the red squirrel is found across a wide variety of forested landscapes, from the broadleaf woodlands of the Swiss Plateau to the conifer forests of the Alps. It is present in both lowland parks and high mountain valleys. The species is common and well regarded in Switzerland, where it is not subject to competition from gray squirrels at any significant scale. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Roe Deer
Capreolus capreolus
Roe deer are found throughout Switzerland, from the wooded valleys of the Jura to the lower slopes of the Alps and the open farmland of the Mittelland plateau. They are highly adaptable and often venture into areas close to human settlement. Population management is shared between cantonal authorities and licensed hunters. Roe deer feed selectively on buds, herbs, and forest plants, and are most visible at dawn and dusk. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
Wild boars live mainly in the lower forests of Switzerland, in the Jura, around Geneva, in the north and in Ticino. The canton of Geneva banned hunting by popular vote in 1974, and since then state wildlife wardens manage its boars instead. Numbers have grown in recent decades, and boars cause crop damage in farmland next to forests. Wolves and lynx hunt them in some areas. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Raccoons are not native to Switzerland but have been spreading into the north of the country from the established populations of Germany and France. They settle near rivers, lakes and forest edges, sheltering in tree hollows and buildings. Because they can harm ground nesting birds, amphibians and crops, Swiss authorities monitor them and treat the raccoon as an invasive species. IUCN status: Least Concern.
European Wildcat
Felis silvestris
The European wildcat almost disappeared from Switzerland in the 1900s, but it held on in the Jura Mountains and has been recovering there. From the Jura it is now spreading onto the Swiss Plateau and toward the foothills of the Alps. This bulky, striped cat with a blunt black tail tip hunts voles and mice at night. Crossbreeding with house cats is monitored closely by Swiss researchers. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Mountain Hare
Lepus timidus
In Switzerland the mountain hare lives throughout the Alps, mainly around and above the tree line, from about 1,300 to more than 3,000 meters. It turns white in winter and has survived here since the ice age. Swiss studies show that warming is pushing it higher, while the brown hare moves uphill and sometimes interbreeds with it. Golden eagles and red foxes are its main predators. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Otter
Lutra lutra
Switzerland lost its otters in the 20th century, and the species was considered extinct there by 1990. In 2009 an otter was confirmed again at a fish pass on the Rhine in Graubünden, and since then otters have returned from Austria along the Inn and from France along the Rhône. On the Aare, a small population is thought to descend from animals that escaped from Bern's zoo. Numbers are still tiny, and the species is listed nationally as Critically Endangered. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Eurasian Beaver
Castor fiber
Beavers were wiped out in Switzerland in the 1800s and returned through releases between 1956 and 1977, starting on the Versoix River near Geneva, with 141 beavers set free at 30 sites. Growth was slow at first, but the national survey of 2022 counted 1,382 territories and about 4,900 beavers, three times more than in 2008, most of them on the rivers and lakes of the Swiss Plateau. IUCN status: Least Concern.
European Adder
Vipera berus
In Switzerland, the European adder lives mainly in the Alps, where it reaches about 3,000 meters, and in the Jura, favoring sunny, rocky slopes, scree, pastures and forest edges. It has disappeared from most of the lowlands, and it is listed as endangered in Switzerland, where it is legally protected. Changes in mountain farming and road traffic add pressure on its populations. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eagle Owl
Bubo bubo
Switzerland's Alpine valleys, limestone cliffs, and forested slopes provide good habitat for the eagle owl. Hunting and persecution made it very rare during the twentieth century, but protection has allowed it to hold on and recover in several regions, especially in the Alps of the south and the valleys of the Jura. It preys on rodents, hares, and birds, and power lines remain a major cause of death here. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is found across the Swiss lowlands and the Mittelland plateau, where open farmland, river valleys, and rural villages provide suitable nesting and hunting habitat. It nests in old farm buildings, church towers, and hollow trees, and hunts mice and voles at night in open fields and meadows. It avoids the high alpine zones, where cold temperatures and snow cover limit prey availability for extended periods. Populations have declined in some areas due to agricultural intensification, and nest box programs supported by farmers and cantonal conservation offices are widely used across the country.
White tailed Eagle
Haliaeetus albicilla
The white tailed eagle is a rare but increasingly regular winter visitor to Switzerland, seen mainly around large lakes and river valleys, such as Lake Constance, Lake Neuchâtel and the Rhine. Most birds are young eagles dispersing from breeding populations in central and eastern Europe. It does not breed in the country, but with its huge wings it is unmistakable. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Crane
Grus grus
Switzerland lies on the edge of the western European flyway, and flocks of common cranes cross the Swiss Plateau and the Jura each autumn and spring on their way between Germany and France. Numbers passing through have grown with the recovery of the European population, and on good migration days large flocks can be seen heading southwest over the lowlands. The species does not breed in Switzerland. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
The white stork disappeared as a breeding bird in Switzerland by the mid twentieth century. In 1948 Max Bloesch founded the stork settlement at Altreu to bring it back, and the first successes came in the 1960s. The population is now self sustaining, and pairs nest on rooftops and platforms in the Swiss Midlands, feeding in wet meadows and river floodplains. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
In Switzerland the white wagtail breeds from the lowlands of the Swiss Plateau up to Alpine valleys above 2,000 meters, along rivers, lakes and in villages and towns. It nests in walls, bridges and buildings and is often seen walking on roads and quays. Most birds migrate in autumn to the Mediterranean and Africa, but some spend the winter on the shores of the large lakes such as Geneva and Constance. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Switzerland's Alpine cliffs and steep gorges provide ideal nesting habitat for the peregrine falcon. The species was nearly eliminated from the country by DDT and persecution during the twentieth century, but it has made a strong comeback following legal protection and reintroduction efforts. Today it breeds across the country, including in some urban areas. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
In Switzerland, the mute swan is a well known resident of lakes and rivers across the lowlands, including Lake Geneva, Lake Constance, and Lake Zurich. It adapts well to proximity to people and is often seen in urban and suburban settings. Breeding pairs nest along sheltered shorelines, and winter flocks can gather in the hundreds on the larger lakes. The species has been present in Switzerland for centuries. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
In Switzerland, the nightingale is a breeding visitor found mainly in the warmer lowland regions, particularly around the Rhine plain in the north, the Ticino in the south and river valleys below about 600 meters elevation. It nests in dense scrub close to water. The species is not common across the whole country and is largely absent from higher elevations. Monitoring programs track its modest Swiss population with care. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
The golden eagle is a well known resident of the Swiss Alps, where it nests on steep cliffs and soars over high passes and valleys. After almost disappearing in the early twentieth century because of shooting, it recovered strongly under protection, and Switzerland now has around 300 to 350 pairs, so many that territories in the Alps are almost full. Pairs keep the same territory for years and often have several nests. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
In Switzerland, the Eurasian magpie is a common resident of the Swiss Plateau, the lowlands between the Jura and the Alps, where farmland, orchards, villages and cities such as Zurich, Bern and Geneva offer trees and open ground. It is much rarer in the high Alps. It stays all year and builds large domed nests in tall trees and hedges. Its loud chatter is a familiar sound in Swiss villages. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bearded Vulture
Gypaetus barbatus
Switzerland lost its breeding bearded vultures in the nineteenth century and began releasing young birds in the Swiss National Park in 1991. The first wild chick hatched in the Engadine in 2007, and in 2025 a record 26 young birds fledged in the country, many in Valais and Graubünden. It feeds on the bones of chamois and alpine ibex. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
In Switzerland the common kingfisher lives all year in the lowlands of the Swiss Plateau, along rivers such as the Aare, Reuss and Rhine and on the shores of lakes like Neuchâtel and Geneva. It needs steep earth banks to nest, which are rare along channeled rivers, so river restoration projects and artificial nesting walls have helped it. In winter it fishes along lake shores where the water stays open. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in Switzerland?
Switzerland is home to the Alpine ibex, chamois, Alpine marmots, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, the Eurasian lynx, wolves and the European wildcat. Its birds include golden eagles, peregrine falcons, eagle owls, storks and mute swans. The best places to see wildlife are the Swiss National Park, the Jungfrau Aletsch area and the forests of the Jura.
Are there wolves in Switzerland?
Yes. Wolves returned on their own from Italy in the 1990s, and in 2025 there were 43 confirmed packs in Switzerland and along its borders, mostly in Graubünden, Valais and Ticino. They avoid people, but attacks on sheep have led to fences, guard dogs and, since 2023, the culling of some packs.
Are there lynx in Switzerland?
Yes. The Eurasian lynx disappeared from Switzerland in the 1800s and was brought back in the 1970s. Today it lives mainly in the Jura and the northwestern Alps, where camera traps track it. It is very shy and almost never seen.
Are there snakes in Switzerland?
Yes. Switzerland has several kinds of snakes, and only a few are venomous, among them the European adder. The venomous ones live on sunny, rocky slopes, often in the mountains. They are shy and bites are rare, but anyone bitten should see a doctor.
What is the national animal of Switzerland?
Switzerland has no national animal set by law, but the Alpine ibex is the one most closely tied to the country. It is the heraldic animal of the canton of Graubünden, and after being wiped out by hunting it was brought back from Italy in 1906.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .