tion had also been an aggravating factor. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a group of man-made, toxic chemicals used in numerous products, had entered the otter’s food chain, building up inside the animal. Consequently, the otters became infertile. Switzerland banned PCBs in 1986, but the last otter died on Lake Neuchâtel three years later. The species was declared extinct in Switzerland. Addendum For two decades, the only otters in Switzerland lived in zoos or were preserved in museums. Nevertheless, 1985 saw the first-ever Swiss otters to be born in captivity. This was in Berne. Another litter was born one day later at Zurich Zoo. The species started to make a quiet comeback in 2009. There were individual sightings at first. Now offspring have also appeared. The outlook may be improving. Animals in captivity The history of Dählhölzli Zoo There are various ways in which to recount the history of a zoo. Historian Roger Sidler (born in 1968) tells the story from the point of view of the animals. Peterli the otter, Igor the tiger and Céline the wildcat lived at Dählhölzli Zoo in different eras. They and other animals in captivity are reflections of society. They are silent witnesses of history, raising fundamental questions about our relationship with wildlife and the natural world. “Zootiere als Zeitzeugen” 2024, Hier und Jetzt publishing house, 208 pages, ISBN 978-3-03919-623-4, CHF 34.00 One of his predecessors was stoned to death at Zurich Zoo. There is no danger of this happening to Tom – photographed here in summer 2024. Photo: Keystone Head warden Werner Schindelholz taking Peterli on a wander through the snow – photographed by zoo director Heini Hediger. Photo: Heini Hediger, 1938/39 at the time, divided into a few small clusters in Grisons, on Lake Neuchâtel and on Lake Biel. But despite government measures to protect them, these remaining otters also disappeared. Not only had their natural habitat been destroyed, but polluSwiss Review / December 2025 / No.5 22 Nature and the environment
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjYwNzMx