A Traditional Swiss Sheep Drive in a Changing World
(Thanks to Dr. Mark Haskits for sending this along) Sean Gallup, a photographer with Getty Images, recently traveled with shepherds in Switzerland during their annual “Schäful” sheep drive in high alpine meadows, near the Oberaletsch and Grosser Aletsch glaciers. During the drive, shepherds and sheepherders gather scattered sheep and lead them to the village of Belalp, where their owners take them back. The drive is one of many alpine traditions supported, in part, by the Swiss government.
BRIG, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 07: Sheep, including a Valais Blacknose, graze during a rest stop during the annual “Schäful” sheep drive on September 7, 2024 near Belalp, Switzerland. The sheep have spent the summer grazing on high alpine meadows in the Aletschji region above the Oberaletsch and Grosser Aletsch glaciers. During the festive “Schäful,” shepherds and sheepherders gather the scattered sheep over several days and lead them to the village of Belalp, where owners take them back, either for slaughter or for winter breeding. Climate change, while it has led to increased amounts of grass for grazing, is also creating complications for the shepherds. The Oberaletsch glacier that once provided an easy means of crossing a gorge along the route has shrunk and receded, leading local authorities to blast a path into the rockface and build a suspension bridge already in the 1970s. More recently, prolonged durations of weather that is either too wet or too dry are increasing. Snow is now falling later in the year and melting later in the spring, shifting the summer grazing season. And due to the warming climate, vegetation unsuitable for the sheep is taking root at higher altitudes, pushing into the sheep’s meadows. The Swiss government, which sees alpine landscapes and traditions as intrinsic to the country’s national and cultural identity, subsidizes alpine farming heavily. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)BRIG, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 07: A Valais Blacknose sheep stands adorned with a garland during the final portion of the annual “Schäful” sheep drive on September 7, 2024 near Belalp, Switzerland. The sheep have spent the summer grazing on high alpine meadows in the Aletschji region above the Oberaletsch and Grosser Aletsch glaciers. During the festive “Schäful,” shepherds and sheepherders gather the scattered sheep over several days and lead them to the village of Belalp, where owners take them back, either for slaughter or for winter breeding. Climate change, while it has led to increased amounts of grass for grazing, is also creating complications for the shepherds. The Oberaletsch glacier that once provided an easy means of crossing a gorge along the route has shrunk and receded, leading local authorities to blast a path into the rockface and build a suspension bridge already in the 1970s. More recently, prolonged durations of weather that is either too wet or too dry are increasing. Snow is now falling later in the year and melting later in the spring, shifting the summer grazing season. And due to the warming climate, vegetation unsuitable for the sheep is taking root at higher altitudes, pushing into the sheep’s meadows. The Swiss government, which sees alpine landscapes and traditions as intrinsic to the country’s national and cultural identity, subsidizes alpine farming heavily. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Gallup writes: “Climate change, while it has led to increased amounts of grass for grazing, is also creating complications for the shepherds. The Oberaletsch glacier that once provided an easy means of crossing a gorge along the route has shrunk and receded, leading local authorities to blast a path into the rockface and build a suspension bridge.” Changing weather patterns have also shifted the summer grazing season, and have affected the altitudes where edible plants can be found.
