The Landslide and the Game
The Blatten landslide drastically altered wildlife habitats. Chamois and red deer were particularly affected, as key habitats were lost or became inaccessible.
The landslide had far-reaching consequences for the wildlife in the Blatten area. The event destroyed important breeding and summer grazing grounds. The chamois in the upper part of the landslide area and the red deer in the lower part were particularly affected. About 40 chamois were killed directly by the landslide; these animals have been missing from game wardens’ counts ever since.
Most of the red deer were already in their summer range in the rear part of Blatten at the time of the landslide. No hunting took place throughout the entire municipality of Blatten in 2025. Since the entire area was declared a restricted zone, the wildlife quickly adapted to the new situation. This was particularly evident among the red deer: the animals were increasingly visible during the day and were no longer exclusively nocturnal.
With the onset of winter, the red deer did not migrate down into the valley to their winter ranges as usual, but instead remained predominantly within the municipal area of Blatten. The landslide created a barrier for the animals along their traditional migration routes between their summer and winter ranges. As a result, several red deer perished around the village of Blatten during the winter.
In addition, there was a lack of suitable winter range areas and the necessary food. Even in the spring, the red deer have fewer grazing areas available, as approximately 75 hectares of farmland were lost.
For the chamois and ibex, however, the situation also brought certain advantages. Due to the limited opportunities for ski tourers and snowshoers, the animals were significantly less disturbed. As a result, they had to move less frequently and expended less energy. At the same time, the high lynx population led to many chamois and roe deer being preyed upon in the area.
