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The Swiss National Park

The park was one of the first to be established in Europe, having been founded as long ago as 1914. Unfortunately this does not mean that it remains as nature intended it – heavy forestry in the now protected area in the 19th century radically altered the landscape – but at least the area’s designation as a national park halted the destruction of habitats and nature has now had almost a century to ‘recover’ – and indeed thrive – without human disturbance. It remains Switzerland’s only park, and boasts some of the country’s most magnificent landscapes. Covering 172sq.km (0.42% of Switzerland’s total area), the park has three main habitats: alpine forest (28%), alpine meadows and grassland (21%), and high mountain wasteland (51%).

The park shelters 30 species of mammal and 100 species of bird, 60 of which breed in the park. One of the most important animals in the park, in terms of population at least, is the marmot (Marmota marmota). Marmots live as family groups in burrows in alpine meadows and subalpine grassland and feed as a group, some keeping a look out while the others eat. If a danger is spotted, the ‘guards’ whistle loudly to alert the others, which disappear quickly into their burrows. Marmots hibernate during the winter in well-lined winter burrows, their heart rate dropping to just two beats per minute during this time. Given the lack of natural predators, elk and chamois also exist in relatively high numbers in the park. They live at or above the tree line, and are agile and well-suited to the steep and rocky terrain of these altitudes. Another creature that lives above the tree line is the ibex (Capra ibex). By 1650, the ibex had died out in this part of Switzerland as it was hunted for its almost metre-long horns which were believed to have healing qualities. However, two were poached in Italy in the early 20th century and introduced into the park, and in recent years numbers have reached 450. (Unfortunately avalanches decimated the population again in 1999 and 2001.) Red deer (Cervus elaphus) can be found in the park in summer, and the rutting season in September and October is a fascinating natural spectacle.

Among the birds that patrol the skies of the park are the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). The bearded vulture (or lammergeier) is a real success story – once hunted to extinction in Switzerland (it was wrongly believed that the bird preyed on sheep, goats and new-born babies, whereas in fact it feeds carrion and bones), it was re-introduced into the park in 1991. Its long, diamond-shaped tail and long, angled wings give it a distinctive silhouette which makes it easy to differentiate when in flight. Adults have a yellow-orange underside, a predominantly buff-coloured head and grey-black upper body and wings. With such a large marmot population, the golden eagle has no shortage of prey in the park. In winter, when marmots hibernate, it feeds on the carcasses of hoofed mammals. Adult birds are predominantly dark, with a golden tinge on the head which gives it its name.

The trees of the park are almost all conifers. Unlike the rest of Switzerland, where the tree line tends to be at around 1,900 metres, the tree line in the park and the rest of the Engadine valley is higher, about 2,300 metres. Over 650 different species of alpine flora can be found in the park. Most plants, particularly those found at the highest altitudes, are extremely hardy, well adapted to the harsh climate. Flowers include the alpine androsace (Androsace alpina), a flower with a short stalk and purple petals that grows in small clusters up to 3,000 metres; gentians (Gentiana), which can be found at altitudes up to 3,500 metres; the hairy alpenrose (Rhododendron hirsutum), which grows in forest clearings up to altitudes of 2,500 metres; the vanilla orchid (Nigritella), found in lower pastureland; the protected edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), found in sunny pastures and rocky areas up to 3,000 metres; the Rhaetian poppy, whose long roots anchor it in the scree in which it is found; the pinnate-leaved ragwort, which grows up to 40cm tall and has yellowy-orange petals and is found in pine forests and dry meadows; and the thorny thistle (Cirsium spinosissimum), found at lower altitudes on dry, rocky areas.

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