The Black Alpine Pig is back in Switzerland
They were nearly extinct and have now returned to Switzerland: Two Black Alpine Pigs have taken up residence at the Goldau Nature and Animal Park. The omnivores share their enclosure with domestic pigs.
They were nearly extinct and have now returned to Switzerland: Two Black Alpine Pigs have taken up residence at the Goldau Nature and Animal Park. The omnivores share their enclosure with domestic pigs.
After just over two months in the quarantine station, the Black Alpine Pigs moved into the domestic animal park, where they were presented to the public. Keepers named the animals from Austria Vreni and Gusti.
Portrait of the Black Alpine Pig
Thanks to their dark colouring, they are not at risk of sunburn and, unlike modern breeds, can be outdoors all day. Their light yet sturdy build makes the Alpine pigs ideally suited to mountain grazing. Alpine pigs were formerly used on alpine pastures to combat patches of coarse vegetation and to loosen compacted resting areas left by cattle. However, these ancient pig breeds were gradually displaced by foreign high-performance breeds.
Until about forty years ago, remnants of the old Graubünden pigs survived at the Splügen and Lukmanier passes — but when ProSpecieRara went searching for the animals in the 1980s, even these last representatives had disappeared.
A chance discovery in the Valtellina
That the park has been enriched by this animal attraction is, according to its own accounts, close to a miracle. In 2013, a few animals were discovered on a teaching farm in the Valtellina.
The Alpine network «Pro Patrimonio Montano» took over further breeding and built up a population of more than 40 breeding groups. After lengthy groundwork, breeding groups of Black Alpine Pigs are now returning to Switzerland for the first time. More on biodiversity and on wildlife.
