Nordic facilities

At the centre of the outdoor enclosures of the Dählhölzli Zoo are the Nordic enclosures with musk oxen, forest reindeer, ice foxes, eider ducks and, somewhat off to the side, moose. The enclosures form a section of the northern tundra and taiga, partly with birch trees, which alternate with local trees.

The musk ox facility

The landscaped enclosure for musk oxen and eider ducks with its birch trees is based on the terrain topography of a Norwegian mountain. Since the opening in 2008, our breeding pair has had offspring almost every year, which we were allowed to give to other zoos as part of the EEP. Currently, two female muskoxen live in the Bern herd with one male offspring of the older female. Bern Animal Park is the only zoo in Switzerland that keeps and breeds the ice-age musk oxen.

The eider ducks, which live on the ponds in the park, are associated with the musk oxen. For some years now, the zoo has been able to breed these ducks in natural broods.

One of the two ponds is home to wild carp, the other to river perch.

The ice fox plant

Like the musk ox enclosure, the enclosure for ice foxes or arctic foxes depicts a section of a Norwegian mountain range. A young pair of ice foxes currently lives in the enclosure.

The ice fox enclosure has access to the forest reindeer enclosure to allow the ice foxes to socialise with the forest reindeer. As soon as the new female ice fox has settled in, the reunion is to take place again.

The reindeer facility

The European forest reindeer inhabit a spacious area with a small pond, shady trees and plenty of room to run around. The woodland reindeer are soon to receive another visit from the neighbouring ice foxes.

The Elk Plant

The moose enclosure is located on one of the least modified parts of the zoo with a relatively original tree population. The two moose are still very young and have been living together in the enclosure since 2021.

There are some turtles living in the pond of the elk plant.