EU Decision Could Drive More Sika Deer To Zurich

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The spotted Sika deer from Japan could soon be migrating to the Swiss canton of Zurich in greater numbers. This is due to a European Union directive for member states to cull the animals. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: EU decision could drive more Sika deer to Zurich This content was published on October 16, 2026 - 15:31 3 minutes Keystone-SDA

Deutsch de EU-Entscheid könnte Sika-Hirsche vermehrt nach Zürich treiben Original Read more: EU-Entscheid könnte Sika-Hirsche vermehrt nach Zürich tr

In Germany and Austria, the EU decision announced in the summer of 2025 caused quite a stir. The media were already referring to an“extermination and culling plan”. The EU had classified the spotted sika deer as an“invasive alien species”.

Private ownership of these deer will therefore only be permitted until August 2027. Furthermore, wild populations are to be“intensively hunted”. In this way, the EU aims to prevent damage to native forests and to stop the Asian deer from interbreeding with native red deer.

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