Dwarf goats, marmots and ibex cavort in the enclosures of the Aletsch Wildlife Park in Fiesch VS. The latter are the highlight of the park. For over 50 years they have been delighting children and adults and putting a smile on the face of visitors.
But that is now over, as the «Walliser Bote» writes. Because the wildlife park had to close its doors because it no longer received an operating license. The enclosures are suddenly empty. Where did the animals go?
There was a happy ending for the dwarf goats. You have found a new home. The ibex, on the other hand, suffered a different fate: They were shot about a week ago because nobody wanted them. The president of the Tierpark Madlen Bortis association told the newspaper: “We have written to all zoos in the country asking if they could take over the animals.”
Nobody wanted to pick up the ibex
Unfortunately, there were only rejections, nobody had a place. Since reintroducing the ibex into the wild is prohibited under the Animal Welfare Act, they had no choice but to shoot the animals. “It’s really close to you,” says Bortis.
This is the end of the story of a zoo in Fiesch that has repeatedly sparked discussions. The park had already struggled with financial difficulties in the 1980s. In 2015, he was even on the verge of extinction due to personnel problems.
So far there has always been a solution
With the financial support of the local population and businesses from all over Switzerland, the park has been saved every time – until now. Bortis says: “We would have needed professional game keepers to keep going.”
But these are rare in Valais, which is why the park has been run by volunteers in recent years. “We could no longer meet the requirements, also with regard to the enclosures, so that we saw no other option than to close the park.” (gin)