WisentWald

Integrated into the Dählhölzli Forest and largely left in its natural appearance, the WisentWald was created in 2008: a spacious, 5-ha facility for the kings of the woods, the bison and red deer. In the extensive area, the Bernese bison herd roams around in search of herbs, their tubers, roots, mushrooms or simply the bark of a young tree. Undisturbed by visitors, who can devote themselves to observing the largest land mammal on a 250-metre-long wooden footbridge that leads 3-4 metres above the forest floor to the centre of the enclosure.

A herd of red deer cavorts among the bison. Especially in autumn, the roar of the stately deer echoes far and wide through the forest and along the Aare.

In addition to the bison, a herd of red deer lives in the Bern bison forest.

The bison – without zoos and animal parks it would be extinct

Europe’s largest living land mammal was wiped out in the wild in 1919. Thanks to prudent planning, it has been possible to preserve, breed and even reintroduce bison from remnant populations in human care. This was done in reserves in Eastern Europe, where the last free-living bison had lived. The Bern Animal Park has been contributing to the reintroduction of bison to the wild with its offspring for almost 2 decades.