The Best Tips from the National Park Guardian for Wildlife Observation

General Tips

The chance to observe wildlife during a hike in Graubünden is great throughout the canton. It just takes a little luck and patience. However, to get very close to animals in the wild, the National Park is one of the best places in the Alps. That is possible because there are very clear rules that visitors have to follow. For example, the animals hardly pay attention to the hikers because they are not allowed to leave the paths, says Bott.

He recommends that visitors bring a pair of binoculars or a telescope. These can also be rented at the National Park Center in Zernez. And if you also want to learn something about the animals and not just observe them, we recommend that you book a guided tour and discover the National Park while learning some interesting facts.

Observation Tips Marmot

• Marmots are easy to spot throughout the National Park.
• They are mainly found on alpine pastures and subalpine grass.
• A good place to see marmots is the Alp Stabelchod that is easily accessible through the Margunet nature trail.
• The marmots are used to visitors and aren’t very shy. Fadri Bott says, "Marmots love visitors otherwise they are mostly bored all the time".

Ibex observation Tips Ibex

• In the spring and early summer, the ibex can be found in the green meadows all the way down into the valleys. They stay close to the path and often travel in packs of 30 to 35.
• During midsummer, they ascend to higher elevations, which means that more hikes are needed to observe the ibex, for example, the Fuorcla Trupchun.
• On the Alp Trupchun, the Serengeti of the Alps, ibex can be seen daily. For observation, binoculars or a telescope is recommended.

Observation Tips Golden Eagle

• Six golden eagles live in and around the national park.
• The birds of prey are more difficult to observe than marmots or deer.
• Near the hotel Il Fuorn there is an eagle's nest. However, the golden eagles do not breed there every year.
• Information about the Golden Eagle Observation can be obtained from the Information truck at the Hotel Il Fuorn. From there, the eagle's nest is visible at a distance of 500 meters.
• According to National Park Guardian Fadri Bott, there are no golden eagles nest in the eyrie in 2018.
• Watch out for marmot whistles when hiking. They raise alarm when birds of prey (golden eagles and bearded vultures) are in the sky and allow you to search the sky for the birds of prey.
• Good chances to discover golden eagles are at Alp Grümmels.

Observation Tips Red Deer

• Every spring deer travel from their winter stalls in the national park.
• A good observation point is the hotel Il Fuorn during the evening while the deer are on the meadow.
• During midsummer, they travel over the tree line but remain observable for the visitors in many areas.
• If you walk 20 minutes from Alp Trupchun in the direction of Fuorcla Trupchun, up to 300 deer can be observed in the basin.

Observation Tips Chamois

• The best spot for observing chamoises are in the Val Cluozza, which can be easily found from Zernez.
• The chamois pack is practically observable everywhere throughout the tour.
• You can find accommodation in the Chamanna (hut) Cluozza. You can comfortably book a night through the online reservation system.
• In the evening, when the shadows get longer, the dinosaur traces that are 220 million years old are also clearly visible. The steep rock face is very vulnerable to falling rocks and not accessible to visitors. With a good binoculars, they are easily recognizable from the Chamanna Cluozza.