Langenberg Wildlife Park, Wildlife park in Langnau am Albis, Switzerland.
Langenberg Wildlife Park covers about 80 hectares in the Sihl Valley at Langnau am Albis, making it Switzerland's largest wildlife park by area. Around 20 native species live in large, naturalistic enclosures, among them brown bears, wolves, lynx, wildcats, ibex, European bison, elk, marmots and otters. A memorial plaque on a boulder near the bear enclosure commemorates founder Carl Anton Ludwig von Orelli.
The park was founded in 1869 by Carl Anton Ludwig von Orelli and was Switzerland's first facility of this kind. This establishment marked the beginning of a new concept: protecting animals in controlled settings while preserving their natural way of living.
The park's name comes from the Langenberg hill above the Sihl Valley. Its founding idea was a place of recreation where people could meet native animals, after the forests around Zurich had been overhunted. A memorial plaque on a boulder near the bear enclosure recalls founder Carl Anton Ludwig von Orelli. The park also keeps Przewalski's horses and sends animals to the Great Gobi B reserve in Mongolia.
The park lies in the Sihl Valley at Langnau am Albis and is reached by S4 trains of the Zurich S-Bahn at Wildpark-Höfli station, or by bus at the Schwerzi-Wildpark and Altersheim stops. The grounds cover about 80 hectares, so allow time to walk between the enclosures.
The adjacent Sihlwald forest area received recognition in 2009 as Switzerland's first Nature Experience Park of national importance. This designation reflects the special place this area holds in the country's natural landscape.
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