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Game Watching in Zermatt Part 3

The little bit loud red deers can weigh up to 200 kilograms in male and up to 100 kilograms in female. The mating season is mid-September to mid-October and the gestation period is for 34 weeks and the young, usually just one, are born in May or June. The deer also have an antler cycle, with the antler growing from February to July and shedding in February or March. The child has a red coat and white spots making it easily confused with fawns. In the rutting season the male deer cries loud and long which can be clearly heard at daybreak especially between Tasch and Randa. During winter, you can spot these beautiful red deers in the woods. During summer you can spot them at Randa to Herbriggen, partly visible from the Matterhorn Gotthardbahn, along the Vispa towards downstream direction and mainly on the left.

WS000001 roe deer

Unlike the red deers, roe deers are quiet but Zermatt has a large population of these cute deers. Males can weigh up to about 20 to 25 kilograms. During summer, their fur has reddish brown color but in summer it changes color to grayish brown. The rutting and mating season is in July and August with gestation period of 42 weeks. The young are born between May and June, and interestingly unlike other deers, roe deers are born as twins. Only males have antlers and these grow from December to April and are shed every year between October and December. During winter like red deers, you can spot these quiet roe deers in the woods. During summer you can spot them from the Matterhorn Gotthardbahn going from Randa to Herbriggen along the Vispa, towards the downstream direction mainly on the left.

WS000001 marmot

Zermatt has many colonies of the cute little marmots. This animal lies in extensive lairs and weighs between three and six kilograms. Their mating season is in April and May, with gestation period of only 33 days. They give birth to about two to three little ones. Marmots have a distinctive social character, so that they can be observed easily by hikers and walkers especially in June, when the young ones are grown enough that they don’t need immediate care from their parents. When they hear loud noises, or get surprised they quickly hide back into their nest. If that happens people who wants to spot them just have to stay quiet and still and they will soon quickly come out of their burrows. During winter, you can not spot these cute marmots since they hibernate. But during summer you can spot them on the marmot trail or Murmeltierweg at Sunnegga to Blauherd and also no the hiking trail from Tasch to Zermatt, between Furi and Aroleid. If you are very patient, you can actually spot them almost everywhere.