The stuffed cheetah (not pictured) was being brought into Switzerland for a private individual
Keystone / Vahid Salemi
A cheetah stuffed by a taxidermist has been seized at the customs post in St Margrethen, northeastern Switzerland. A German man was importing it from Austria for a private individual.
Threatened or endangered animals may not be imported into Switzerland – or only with a special permit. The same applies to products made from such animals, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security said on Thursday.
The stuffed cheetah was in the private vehicle of the German, who “duly declared it” when going through customs in St Margrethen at the end of October. However, he did not have a CITES permit (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which is why the cheetah was seized.
More than 180 countries have pledged to cooperate with CITESExternal link. In Switzerland, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office is responsible for the implementation of the convention. The customs office carries out border controls and checks on consignments of goods on behalf of the veterinary office.
More
More
Confiscated!
This content was published on
The idea for the photo shoot came after he met veterinary officials to negotiate the release of his own confiscated polar bear fur boots. It was a “fascinating” array of materials, he told swissinfo.ch.
This content was published on
Solar energy pioneer Raphaël Domjan and his team continued preparations for the altitude record attempt at 10,000 metres with the SolarStratos solar aircraft.
This content was published on
Cattle in the canton of Geneva and in the neighbouring region of Terre Sainte in the canton of Vaud are being vaccinated against the contagious viral skin nodule disease. The first cases of the animal disease were reported at the end of June in France, just outside Geneva.
Fewer attacks on Swiss ATMs but their future remains uncertain
This content was published on
Bank ATMs in Switzerland are less prone to attacks by criminals, but their future remains uncertain given the less active use of cash by the population.
This content was published on
A series of rockfalls occurred above the village of Brienz between 9 and 12 July. According to the municipality of Albula, the overall situation remains tense. Several people disregarded the ban on entering the area around the village.
This content was published on
Arosa Bergbahnen achieved the highest figure in its 95-year history in the 2024/25 financial year with net revenue of CHF 37 million. Arosa Lenzerheide was able to capitalise on strengths such as snow reliability and the size of the ski area in a long winter season, the company announced on Thursday.
This content was published on
Unknown perpetrators stole ceramic dental implants during a break-in at a company in Oensingen, northern Switzerland, on Tuesday night.
Euro 2025: Bern prepares for massive parade ahead of Switzerland-Spain game
This content was published on
The last Euro 2025 match to be played in Bern, the quarterfinal between Spain and Switzerland at 9pm on Friday, promises to be a great celebration of football.
Clariant faces further ethylene price-fixing claim
This content was published on
Swiss chemicals group Clariant is facing a further claim for damages in connection with ethylene price-fixing agreements.
This content was published on
The Grande Dixence dam in Lower Valais is closed to visitors due to a rockfall last weekend. The nearby hotel also had to temporarily suspend operations for safety reasons.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Nations tighten rules on trading protected animals and plants
This content was published on
States meeting in Geneva to discuss the global wildlife trade have agreed to strengthen protections on a range of different species.
This content was published on
Lörtscher is head of conservation of species at the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office, and since 2004 he has been one of the scientific experts on the Animals Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). swissinfo.ch: What was the most shocking thing you have had to deal with…
Swiss expert warns over lucrative illegal wildlife trade
This content was published on
The illegal trade in wildlife has become a massively lucrative, low-risk activity controlled by criminal groups, warns Swiss expert Mathias Lörtscher.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.