Swiss wildlife park serves up furry residents to visitors

A wildlife animal park in Switzerland has hit upon a novel idea to ensure its restaurants don’t run out of food, by serving up meat from some of the exhibits.

The Langenberg, nestled to the west of Lake Zurich, houses brown bears, wolves, elk, wild boar and other beasties, but as well as gawping at their majesty, visitors can get even closer to their favourites in other ways too.

A spokesman for the park, Martin Kilchenmann, revealed to online news pub Der Landbote, that the use of the furry residents on the menu was “very ecological” and gives guests of the park a view of the animals’ “natural cycle”.

Apparently, every year around 100 animals are born in the park but there isn’t room for all of them, and if fluffy food stuffs cannot be re-homed in the traditional sense, another more permanent solution is sought.

Kilchenmann said some 49 bambies and 10 wild boar were shot in the park in 2012 and “recycled”. They were possible sequestered with a red wine intravenous drip, ending up on a plate with some Dauphinoise and baby carrots. Possibly not.

“The majority of guests show goodwill and support our approach,” the spokesman said.

Unsurprisingly, not everyone agrees with the park’s approach. Ruth Widmer, president of the local animal protection association, said restrictions should be slapped on the numbers of births in the park.

“I am shocked,” she said. ®