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27-472: Unlike Switzerland's only national park , which is reserved to nature alone, the Parc Ela covers the settled and cultivated territory of around 21 municipalities , notably Tiefencastel , Bergün , Savognin and Bivio . The park takes its name from Piz Ela , the 3,338-metre mountain peak at its center. The park is organised as a private association of local activists, supported financially by contributions from

54-559: A IUCN category Ia. The most recent extension of the park occurred in 2000, when 3.6 km the Macun Lakes and surrounding area was added to the park. There was a proposition to create a less heavily regulated zone in the areas surrounding the park, which was however rejected by the public. In 2008, a new visitor centre was inaugurated in Zernez. Some of the changes in territory that the park underwent since its inception in 1909 are detailed in

81-573: A change in the Swiss law on the protection of nature and the countryside, which as of 2006 remained tied up in parliament due to disputes over whether federal financial support should be mandatory. 46°35′39″N 9°41′35″E  /  46.59417°N 9.69306°E  / 46.59417; 9.69306 Swiss National Park The Swiss National Park ( Romansh : Parc Naziunal Svizzer ; German: Schweizerischer Nationalpark ; Italian : Parco Nazionale Svizzero ; French: Parc National Suisse )

108-592: A four-day horse trek to Mount Cook. The first surviving releases were made in the Aoraki / Mount Cook region and these animals gradually spread over much of the South Island . In New Zealand, chamois hunting is unrestricted and even encouraged by the Department of Conservation to limit the animal's impact on New Zealand's native alpine flora . New Zealand chamois tend to weigh about 20% less than European individuals of

135-632: A hunter stalking chamois from above is less likely to be observed and more likely to be successful. The tuft of hair from the back of the neck, the gamsbart (chamois "beard"), is traditionally worn as a decoration on hats throughout the alpine countries. Chamois leather, traditionally made from the hide of the chamois, is very smooth and absorbent and is favoured in cleaning, buffing, and polishing because it produces no scratching. Modern chamois leather may still be made from chamois hides, but hides of deer or domestic goats or sheep are much more commonly used. An artificial fabric known as "chamois"

162-811: A leash. Due to these strict rules, the Swiss National Park is the only park in the Alps which has been categorized by the IUCN as a strict nature reserve , the highest protection level. A visitor centre is located in Zernez . The road through the park leads over the Fuorn Pass (or Ofenpass ) to South Tyrol in Italy. In addition to the Swiss National Park, there are sixteen regional nature parks in Switzerland. The Swiss National Park

189-438: Is home to several large animals. Visitors of the park will often hear and see alpine marmots . These may even be observed from very close up in one of the many designated resting places within the park. Other large animals include ibex , red deer , chamois , red fox , golden eagles and many more. Occasionally wolves and brown bears are also observed in the park but only rarely and these animals do not permanently reside in

216-589: Is located in the Western Rhaetian Alps , in eastern Switzerland. It lies within the canton of Graubünden , between Zernez , S-chanf , Scuol , and the Fuorn Pass in the Engadin valley on the border with Italy. Founded in 1914, the Swiss National Park is the oldest national park in the alps and in Central Europe. It is part of the worldwide UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and has IUCN category Ia, which

243-553: Is the highest category, signifying a strict nature reserve. Today, the Swiss National Park has an area of 170.3 km and is the largest nature reserve in Switzerland. The Swiss National Park covers various terrains, from relatively low valleys to high peaks. The highest peak in the National Park is Piz Quattervals, 3165 m.a.s.l, which can be reached by an alpine hike. As of 2022, this is the only National Park in Switzerland. There are plans to create more. An Adula National Park

270-821: Is the highest peak in the park. Chamois Capra rupicapra Linnaeus, 1758 The chamois ( / ˈ ʃ æ m w ɑː / ) ( Rupicapra rupicapra ) or Alpine chamois is a species of goat-antelope native to the mountains in Southern Europe , from the Pyrenees , the Alps , the Apennines , the Dinarides , the Tatra to the Carpathian Mountains , the Balkan Mountains ,

297-850: The Rila – Rhodope massif, Pindus , the northeastern mountains of Turkey , and the Caucasus . It has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand . Some subspecies of chamois are strictly protected in the EU under the European Habitats Directive . The chamois is a very small bovid. A fully grown chamois reaches a height of 70–80 cm (28–31 in) and measures 107–137 cm (42–54 in). Males, which weigh 30–60 kg (66–132 lb), are slightly larger than females, which weigh 25–45 kg (55–99 lb). Both males and females have short, straightish horns which are hooked backwards near

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324-697: The Zoological Society's Gardens , Regent's Park, London, accepted an invitation from the New Zealand Government to deliver a consignment of chamois (two bucks and six does) to the colony. They arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, on 23 January 1907, on board SS Turakina . From Wellington the chamois were transhipped to the Manaroa and conveyed to Lyttelton, then by rail to Fairlie in South Canterbury and

351-568: The Fuorn Pass and the Val Minger were leased from their respective municipality and the lease of the Val Cluozza was renewed to now all last 99 years. The municipality of Zernez was increasingly supporting the idea due to the fact that the leased area had little to no agricultural potential. On the national holiday of Switzerland, 1 August 1914, the Swiss National Park was opened. Initially the costs of

378-529: The National Park was legally restructured. A law called the Bundesbeschluss für den Nationalpark (Federal law concerning the National Park) was passed, which among other things extended the leases indefinitely and banned high voltage lines leading through the park. In 1961, the park was heavily extended once more, now totalling 166.5 km . In 1964, zoologist Robert F. Schloeth was appointed director of

405-516: The chamois spends the summer months in alpine meadows above the tree line, but moves to elevations of around 800 m (2,600 ft) to spend the winter in pine-dominated forests. Alpine chamois arrived in New Zealand in 1907 as a gift from the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph I in exchange for specimens of living ferns, rare birds and lizards. Albert E. L. Bertling, formerly head keeper of

432-640: The lease were paid by a private company, called the Schweizerischer Bund für Naturschutz (Swiss coalition for nature protection), which today is called Pro Natura . However, when in 1913 these costs could no longer be surmounted by the private company, the Swiss Federal Government took over the costs. In 1936, the Val Tavrü was removed from the Park upon request by the municipality of Scuol . In 1959,

459-419: The local municipalities, the cantons of Graubünden and Zürich and the conservation group Pro Natura , as well as by the goodwill of the Swiss federal government. Apart from road signs, visitors can see few actual indications that they are entering a protected area, as the park's activities focus on ecological, cultural, tourist and economical development and cooperation. The park's legal recognition depends on

486-560: The main predators of chamois. Chamois usually use speed and stealthy evasion to escape predators and can run at 50 km/h (31 mph) and can jump 2 m (6 ft 7 in) vertically into the air or over a distance of 6 m (20 ft). The chamois is native to the Pyrenees , the mountains of south and central Europe , Turkey , and the Caucasus . It lives in precipitous, rugged, rocky terrain at moderately high elevations of up to at least 3,600 m (11,800 ft). In Europe,

513-401: The park any more. After the 19th century led to a lot of the Swiss countryside being destroyed or cultivated to create space for farming in 1904 Swiss National Council Dr. Fritz E. Bühlmann among others called for the creation of a nature reserve. The Swiss Federal Council created a committee to determine a suitable location for this nature reserve, and the area surrounding the Fuorn Pass

540-519: The park. He would go on to serve in that post for more than 25 years while heavily influencing the parks' development. In 1968, during his tenure a new visitor centre was inaugurated in Zernez as was a Naturlernpfad (Nature learning hike) on the Fuorn pass in 1976. It was during Schloeth's tenure as director that the park would become part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and would be classified as

567-428: The same age, suggesting that food supplies may be limited. The species R. rupicapra is categorized into seven subspecies: As their meat is considered tasty, chamois are popular game animals. Chamois have two traits that are exploited by hunters: the first is that they are most active in the morning and evening when they feed; the second is that they tend to look for danger originating from below, which means that

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594-560: The summer and conifers, barks and needles from trees in winter. Primarily diurnal in activity, they often rest around mid-day and may actively forage during moonlit nights. Chamois can reach an age of 22 years in captivity, although the average recorded age in the wild ranges from 15 to 17 years. Common causes of mortality can include avalanches, epidemics and predation. In the past, the principal predators were Eurasian lynxes , Persian leopards and Golden Jackal , gray wolves , and possibly brown bears and golden eagles , but humans are now

621-492: The table below: In the park, visitors have to follow strict rules. These rules are regulated in a special cantonal law by the canton of Grisons and enforced by park rangers throughout the park. If these rules are not followed, the park rangers may fine visitors up to 300 swiss francs . Some of the rules are as follows: There are 21 numbered hiking routes in the National Park, of which 3 and 4 are alpine hikes. Hike no. 4 leads on top of Piz Quattervals (3165 m.a.s.l.), which

648-427: The tip, the horn of the male being thicker. In summer, the fur has a rich brown colour which turns to a light grey in winter. Distinct characteristics are white contrasting marks on the sides of the head with pronounced black stripes below the eyes, a white rump and a black stripe along the back. Female chamois and their young live in herds of up to 15 to 30 individuals; adult males tend to live solitarily for most of

675-1100: The year. During the rut (late November/early December in Europe, May in New Zealand ), males engage in fierce battles for the attention of unmated females. An impregnated female undergoes a gestation period of 170 days, after which a single kid is usually born in May or early June. On rare occasions, twins may be born. If a mother is killed, other females in the herd may try to raise the young. Kids are weaned at six months of age and are fully grown by one year of age, but do not reach sexual maturity until they are three to four years old, although some females may mate at as early two years old. At sexual maturity, young males are forced out of their mother's herds by dominant males (who sometimes kill them), to wander somewhat nomadically until they can establish themselves as mature breeding specimens at eight to nine years of age. Chamois eat various types of vegetation, including highland grasses and herbs during

702-507: Was found to be best suited for this endeavour due to its remoteness from civilization and richness in flora and fauna . In 1909 supporters of the idea leased the Val Cluozza from the municipality of Zernez for 25 years. In 1913 a non-standing committee of the Federal assembly visited the Val Cluozza and afterwards supported the idea of a national park. Within the following year the region around

729-569: Was planned in the Adula Alps , but in November 2016 the inhabitants voted against it. In the national park, it is forbidden to leave marked paths or to sleep anywhere apart from the Chamanna Cluozza, the mountain hut in the park. Due to this there are over 80 kilometers of marked hiking paths, separated into 21 individual hikes of various distances and difficulties. Dogs are not allowed, even on

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