EU decision could drive more Sika deer to Zurich

EU decision could drive more Sika executives to Zurich Keystone-SDA

The spotted Sika deer from Japan could soon be migrating to the Swiss canton of Zurich in greater numbers. This is due to a European Union directive for member states to cull the animals.

In Germany and Austria, the EU decision announced in the summer of 2025 caused quite a stir. The media were already referring to an “extermination and culling plan”. The EU had classified the spotted sika deer as an “invasive alien species”.

Private ownership of these deer will therefore only be permitted until August 2027. Furthermore, wild populations are to be “intensively hunted”. In this way, the EU aims to prevent damage to native forests and to stop the Asian deer from interbreeding with native red deer.

Around 40 Swiss Sika deer

The decision from Brussels could have implications for the canton of Zurich. “We will notice the increasing hunting pressure in Baden-Württemberg,” says Reto Muggler, co-head of the cantonal Fisheries and Hunting Administration. This means that more sika deer could migrate into the area.

This Asian deer species already lives in the canton of Zurich, albeit only in a small area of just over 2,300 hectares. The animals can be observed north of the Rhine in the Rafzerfeld in the canton of Zurich and in the canton of Schaffhausen. This population numbers just over 40 animals.

Unlike in the EU, where culling plans are a recent development, sika deer have, however, been hunted in the canton of Zurich for years. Last year, 19 animals were shot to prevent the population from spreading. “If more sika deer were to enter the canton of Zurich, they would continue to be hunted as part of normal management,” said Muggler.

The canton does not currently fear any significant geographical spread. According to Muggler, the sika deer remains within its territory. As such, it has not yet swum across the Rhine.

Nor does Zurich regard the possibility of Sika deer interbreeding with red deer as a threat. This is because the species live far apart and are unlikely to cross paths.

Gift from Japanese Emperor

The Zurich sika deer population descends from a population in the Black Forest that has lived there since 1939. The spotted deer actually originate from South-East Asia and the Far East. They arrived in Europe – more specifically, in France – in 1890 as a gift from the Japanese Emperor. There, they managed to escape from the grounds of Rambouillet Castle near Paris.

Around 1900, sika deer were brought to Germany because it was fashionable to ‘enrich’ the native wildlife with non-native species. Many sika deer lived in parks, where – as had happened in France – they once again managed to escape. There are now five populations in Germany.

Sika deer are related to red deer but are significantly smaller. From May to September, they have a summer coat with white patches.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.