Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
It just can’t be stressed enough: it’s not a good idea to go digging around archaeological sites without permission. As you’ll read in our round-up of today’s news, two Swiss citizens have learned this lesson the hard way in France.
Also on the news menu: Swiss tourist authorities get a prestigious new ambassador, lynxes in Switzerland face hurdles to avoid extinction, and Swiss cars seem particularly attractive for cross-border thieves.
Enjoy the read!
Back in the 1970s, the lynx was the first big predator to be reintroduced to Switzerland. But half a century later, it remains a threatened species in the country.
After disappearing in the 19th century due to hunting and the disappearance of its natural habitat, lynx were reintroduced via individuals brought from the Carpathian Mountains. At first they was found in the Jura mountains, then the western Alps, and now the cat is present in several regions of Switzerland. Some 343 lynx are estimated to live in the country.
The reintroduction efforts have all the makings of a success story, but there’s a hitch: too much inbreeding has facilitated the appearance of hereditary diseases. In the Alps, for example, heart valve defects have been observed, leading to a high mortality rate among young lynx. In the Jura, young individuals have even been spotted without ears.
According to specialists, the lynx could become extinct if nothing is done. The solution lies in introducing new individuals from abroad. But making this happen won’t be easy, as the cat still faces fierce opposition among hunting and farming circles.
Digging up objects from historical sites can have big consequences. Two Swiss learned this lesson the hard way in France – each getting hit with a €10,000 fine for having “damaged the archaeological heritage” of the Verdun battlefield in 2023.
The fine was handed down around two months ago, but initially went rather unnoticed. Then this week, France’s leading private TV channel TF1 brought up the story as part of a news report about looters who plunder the site of the most famous battle of the First World War.
The fine is particularly severe, and is a “an unprecedented judgement for First World War sites”, according to authorities in the Meuse region, where Verdun is located. But the two Swiss were not simply tourists out for a souvenir; they came kitted out with a whole range of specialist equipment (metal detectors, shovels, climbing ropes, maps) and had amassed a haul including fragments of grenades and shells by the time they were arrested.
As a reminder: collecting objects from historical sites – even simple stones or shards of pottery – is prohibited in most countries. Such restrictions can now even exist to protect nature; collecting sand, pebbles or shells can thus also result in fines. So, if in doubt, it’s best to refrain from picking up any impromptu souvenir.
Reflecting the country’s wealth, Swiss roads enjoy a high proportion of luxury and premium cars. This has not escaped the attention of thieves from elsewhere. While it is by no means a new phenomenon, in recent weeks there has been a surge in thefts of luxury cars by criminals from France.
The modus operandi is the following: the thieves steal the keys to luxury or premium cars from dealerships or workshops, nab the vehicle, then head for France on the motorway at high speed. The thefts can sometimes lead to impressive car chases that can endanger other motorists.
This phenomenon first affected the German-speaking cantons of Zurich and Aargau, and is now spreading to French-speaking parts of Switzerland. “Over the past few months, half a dozen burglaries targeting garages and panel beating workshops have been reported in the canton; the trend intensified during the first half of July,” notes the cantonal police in Vaud.
“Generally speaking, the perpetrators of the thefts are French, sometimes underage and likely recruited by mafia networks,” added the Vaud cantonal police. To curb the phenomenon, the police recommend that car dealerships store keys in secure locations and fit vehicles with immobilisers and GPS trackers.
Switzerland Tourism couldn’t have hoped for a better ambassador. Justin Bieber is on holiday in Switzerland with his wife Hailey, and the Canadian star’s upbeat online comments are proving to be a good way to promote the places he’s visiting.
Maybe it’s unique to Switzerland that an international star can walk around in peace. In any case, Justin Bieber likes it. Alone on his electric scooter on the cycle path crossing the famous Mont-Blanc bridge in Geneva, he said: “This is crazy, nuts. It’s so pretty.”
After Geneva, the Canadian crooner shined a spotlight on the Vallée de Joux. One of the highlights of his trip to this area of the Vaud Jura was a visit to the museum and workshop of watchmaker Audemars Piguet.
Meanwhile the couple showered their followers on social media with reports and snaps of their Swiss discoveries. Which means a lot of online attention: Justin Bieber has 295 million followers on Instagram, his wife has 55 million.
Translated from French by DeepL/dos
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