Last month a piste basher driver in the Swiss ski resort of La Tzoumaz enjoyed an increasingly common sight when he encountered a pack of four wolves on the slopes.
La Tzoumaz is part of the ‘Four Valleys ski area, which also includes Verbier, Nendaz and Veysonnaz.
According to Nicolas Bourquin, head of the Cantonal Hunting Service, it’s not uncommon to see wolves:
“With the number of packs we have in the Valais, it’s not surprising. These pistes are part of the territory of this pack. Such encounters happen almost every day.”
It’s estimated that the Valais has a population of 70-80 wolves and eight known packs. According to Le Nouvelliste, wolves killed 415 livestock in 2022, compared with 336 in 2021, at a cost of CHF182,000. Five wolves were shot last year in Valais.
A video taken from the snow groomer cab is shown below: