Bunnies, goats and budgies to vie for beauty
A major display of small domestic animals is to open in the town of Fribourg later this week – boasting more than 10,000 furry, feathery and hairy creatures.
At least 14 different prizes are awarded for the most beautiful small animals according to rules of the breeders’ associations.
The three-day event, to begin next Friday, is expected it to be the biggest such pageant in ten years in Switzerland.
About 800 volunteers are involved in helping stage the show, according to organisersExternal link.
Among the animals on display are an estimated 4,000 rabbits, 2,600 pigeons, 2,200 pet birds, 1,800 chickens and 200 guinea pigs.
+ Read about why rabbit breeders are crucial for democracy
There are an estimated 45,000 mainly amateur breeders of small domestic animals in Switzerland.
Fish of the year
Meanwhile, the eel has been named fish of the year 2018 by the Swiss Fishery Association.
The group said it wanted to raise awareness of threatened species which have nearly been disappeared from Switzerland over the century, as an increasing number of hydropower plants were built along the country’s main waterways, notably the rivers Rhine, Rhone and Ticino.
The eel used to be most common in Switzerland before the industrial revolution.
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