The Sikypark needs renovation
The Sikypark has a clear mission: "We rescue native and exotic animals in need and give them a home." This sets the Swiss animal rescue park apart from other parks and zoos.
The non-profit Sikypark AG in Crémines has been developing a concept for an animal rescue park for native and exotic wild animals.
The park currently houses over 550 animals from 74 species, more than 90% of which were taken in through animal rescues, confiscations and surrenders. Set in a natural Jura landscape in the Bernese Jura, the park offers adults, families, children, schools and professional groups an attractive excursion destination with catering facilities.
The care and contact with the animals in their charge is intensive and requires a great deal of patience. In addition, some of the animals are no longer in their prime. And that is precisely the point. The park provides former circus and zoo animals with a dignified final chapter of life and offers assistance whenever wild animals are in need of a new home.
The Sikypark also takes in tigers, lions and other big cats that can no longer find a place in zoos or circuses due to their age. The animals are often already in poor health upon arrival, seek the human contact they are accustomed to, and therefore require close and time-intensive care, explains the Sikypark.
In addition to rescuing and caring for the animals, the Sikypark is also active in educational work. Through guided tours, talks and workshops, visitors of all ages are informed about the importance of animal welfare . The park thus offers a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of the protection of wildlife and to foster a love of nature.
A particular highlight at the Sikypark is the opportunity to experience the big cats up close. Visitors have the chance to take part in guided tours and gain insight into the lives of these majestic animals. Great emphasis is placed on safety and respect towards the animals in order to ensure their well-being.
The Sikypark strives to further develop and improve its animal rescue park concept. Through close collaboration with other animal parks, zoos, and nature conservation organizations, experiences can be exchanged and innovative approaches developed. In doing so, Sikypark not only contributes to the rescue and care of animals, but also to the advancement of animal, nature, and species protection.
Major renovation works are pending
The Sikikpark in Crémines, which was hastily converted in 2017, must now take another step forward. To achieve this, a change to the development plan has been applied for. This is intended to enable Sikypark to carry out extensive works. Currently, the animal park is not located in a building zone. According to Director Marc Zihlmann, the future of Sikypark therefore depends on this neighborhood plan.
Once the new plan comes into force, four major projects can be realized by 2031: the renovation of the parrot station, the expansion of the wolf enclosure, the improvement of the care station, and the modernization of the children's playground. “We had to build everything very quickly, and now we would like a more professional structure,” explains Sikypark's head keeper, Kim Herzog.
A duty to educate
The renovation has also become necessary because the number of animals admitted has increased sixfold since Sikypark was founded in 2017. One reason for this is the illegal keeping of wild animals, which is frequently carried out by private individuals — animals that are subsequently taken in by the park in Crémines. For Kim Herzog, the facility also has the task of raising public awareness: “We want to change something, we want to show that you shouldn’t buy every animal on the internet.”
Species-appropriate animal husbandry is certainly not what awaits the animals at Sikypark. Extensive stereotypic behavior can be observed in several species. Others give a sad impression. How deplorable must the conditions have been before they ended up at Sikypark? The entire facility makes a rather run-down impression, as observed during the IG Wild beim Wild inspection on 3.8.2023. The question also arises as to whether the big cats would not be better off elsewhere, for example at the Lionsrock by Four Paws. Overall, doubts arise as to whether animal welfare is truly the priority, or whether the animals are not being exploited for human entertainment as in any other zoo. Some visitors likely leave the facility feeling distressed and disappointed by the animal suffering in the cramped enclosures.
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