Nestled between steep rock faces, thundering waterfalls and alpine meadows, Lauterbrunnen offers a unique wildlife experience in the heart of the Bernese Oberland.
Animal Discovery Trail
Discover the unique wildlife of the Lauterbrunnen Valley on the Animal Trail. The route begins at the River Lounge and follows the Lütschine towards Stechelberg before ending at the Spiss barbecue area.
Along the way, several information boards introduce visitors to the native wildlife of the Swiss Alps and share interesting facts about their habitat, behaviour and way of life. Keep your eyes open and discover the wooden animals carved along the trail.
Note
Come visit us at the Tourist Office Lauterbrunnen to pick up the flyer, complete the quiz on the trail and pick up your prize!
Alpine Marmot
Marmots, often called ‘Mungg’ in Swiss German, belong to the rodent order and the squirrel family. The alpine marmot is the third largest rodent in Europe after the beaver and the southern Italian porcupine. Marmots hibernate in their burrows during winter, but do not sleep through the whole season. Despite having a greatly reduced metabolism, they must empty their bladder every few weeks. Marmots have an excellent sense of when spring is beginning; this is still inexplicable to us humans. They always appear as soon as the first patches of pale ground appear. The timing varies slightly from year to year, but in very long winters, they can emerge up to a month later.
Alpine Marmot
Grass steppes from the tree line with maximum altitudes of 3000 metres above sea level.They favour the southern slopes of the mountains as these are the first to be free of snow in spring. They build their burrows in the ground, with the winter burrow reaching depths of up to seven metres.
Marmots are very social creatures, they live in family groups of up to twenty animals, each consisting of a dominant pair and their offspring.
Roots, tubers, grasses, herbs, shoots, flowers, seeds and fruit. Adult marmots eat up to 1.2 kg of green mass per day
Marmots mate directly after hibernation, typically between mid-April and the end of May.
Around 130 000 animals live in the wild in Switzerland. Their population is considered stable. In Switzerland it is allowed to hunt them.
After a gestation period of around 34 days, the female gives birth to up to six young. Marmots become pregnant approximately every two years.
Marmots can be found on Männlichen, at Eigergletscher and Grindelwald First.
Golden eagles pose the greatest threat to adult marmots. Foxes, stone martens and ravens can also pose a threat to young animals. When a marmot spots an enemy, it lets out a shrill whistle to alert the others.
Alpine marmots hibernate from October to April. Before hibernating, they line their nest chambers with dry plant material to insulate them from the cold.
Snowstorms and long periods of bad weather can be fatal for young animals if they do not have enough fat reserves. The same applies to hibernation; some animals do not survive it for the same reasons.
Red Deer
The red deer, also called “king of the woods” is the largest of our native wild animals. It belongs to the family of cloven-hoofed animals, whose relatives include fallow deer, roe deer, and elk. Male stags have antlers that can weigh up to 8 kg. These are shed every year between February and April, after which they are regrown. Females do not have antlers and are significantly smaller than males. Red deer were once extinct in Switzerland. From 1870, the first deer immigrated again from Austria. Since the 1990s, they have also recolonised parts of the Jura from France. Their comeback is not yet complete, however, as there are still large areas of Switzerland that are mostly free of deer. Unfortunately, deer corridors are often blocked by motorways, preventing the animals from spreading further.
Red Deer
Forest and open or semi-open landscapes. During winter on semi-open areas in valleys; in summer on alpine pastures. Red Deer are long-distance migrants, and their summer and winter habitats may be far apart.
Outside the mating season, hinds and stags live separately. Old stags are solitary creatures. In summer, the hinds and their calves form a family, several of these families come together in winter to form a herd. The herds are led by a lead cow.
Grasses, leaves, bark, buds and twigs. They need up to 20 kg of food per day.
Autumn; male stags make rutting cries during this time, not only but also to attract the females. They go to the rutting grounds, where they meet the female deer. There, the bulls engage in fights and mating rituals.
About 35 000 red deer live in Switzerland. They are not considered endangered and may be hunted.
As a rule, the hind gives birth to a calf after around 230 days of gestation. The young can stand within a few hours of birth. They are suckled for at least six months.
In the Upper Lauterbrunnen Valley, Beatenberg, Habkern and during winter near Meiringen. They are very shy, which is why they are rarely seen and difficult to observe.
Large predators such as wolves, which hunt old and injured animals. Eagles, eagle owls, lynxes and wildcats rarely catch a young animal.
Red deer become nocturnal if their habitat is disturbed too much by humans. They only have a red coat in summer; in autumn, they change their coat and become grey or grey-brown.
Snow avalanches, human disturbance in winter and the destruction and fragmentation of habitats caused by agriculture, road construction, hiking trails and ski resorts.
