The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Stuffed cheetah seized at Swiss border

Cheetah
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.

Read more: Confiscated!

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Solar aeroplane flies around the Matterhorn

More

Solar plane flies around Matterhorn

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.

Read more: Solar plane flies around Matterhorn
Compulsory vaccination against cattle disease in Geneva and parts of Vaud

More

Vaccinations imposed for some Swiss cattle

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.

Read more: Vaccinations imposed for some Swiss cattle
Small rockfalls occurred above Brienz GR

More

Rockfalls measured above Swiss village

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.

Read more: Rockfalls measured above Swiss village
Arosa Bergbahnen with record sales

More

Arosa cable cars celebrate record year

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.

Read more: Arosa cable cars celebrate record year
Unknown persons steal dental implants from Solothurn company

More

Dental implants stolen in million-franc raid

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.

Read more: Dental implants stolen in million-franc raid
Rockfalls affect tourism at the Grande Dixence dam

More

Rockfalls affect tourism at tallest dam in Europe

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.

Read more: Rockfalls affect tourism at tallest dam in Europe

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR