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Under publications you will find our wilderness magazine, as well as annual reports and concepts.
Read moreAnnual report 2021
The rush of visitors was followed by capricious weather
The capricious weather of 2021 has also left its mark on Zurich Wilderness Park. Masses of snow, storms and constant rain kept the ranger team and animal keepers on their toes. Visitor numbers remained high in the second year of the pandemic.
According to the recently published annual report of the Zurich Wilderness Park Foundation, 2021 brought a great deal of normality back: the extraordinary rush of visitors to the Sihlwald Nature Discovery Park in 2020, the year of the pandemic, was not repeated. Nevertheless, visitor numbers were still higher than before the pandemic. Langenberg Zoo had to remain closed for two months at the beginning of the year due to federal pandemic regulations. All in all, the number of visitors to the zoo was around 360,000, in line with the average for previous years.
Snowfall and storms
The weather was a defining element of 2021: January brought huge amounts of snow to the Zurich region and the summer went down in history as one of the wettest on record. Broken branches, fallen trees, landslides and water damage to paths kept employees on their toes for weeks. "Thanks to a successful appeal for donations, we were able to cover some of the unexpected costs with financial contributions from private individuals," explains Karin Hindenlang Clerc, Managing Director of the Zurich Wilderness Park Foundation. "A look at the visitor statistics and the willingness to donate shows that Zurich Wilderness Park is an important place for people in the region to experience nature."
However, the weather also had positive consequences: The heavy rainfall gave visitors a magical golden fall, as the trees wore their leaves longer thanks to the moisture in the ground. The wild weather also accelerated the development of the Sihlwald into a wilderness - a thoroughly desirable effect in this natural forest.
Further information
Mirella Wepf, Project Manager Communications
Tel. 044 722 55 24, mirella.wepf@wildnispark.ch
View and download the annual report. We will also be happy to send you a printed copy on request.
The images below are available as ZIP files in printable resolution.
Caption
A particularly beautiful highlight of 2021: the birth of two young lynx. Langenberg Zoo participates in the European conservation breeding program for this rare species. Picture credits: Zurich Wilderness Park Foundation, Stefan Eichholzer
