Wiener amphibians on a hike: Protect our animal friends!

Wiener amphibians on a hike: Protect our animal friends!

The first months of 2025 were shaped by dryness in Vienna, which meant that amphibians did not come from their winter quarters. But the recent rain woke up the animals! As the ORF Vienna , numerous amphibians are now on their way to their birth waters to take care of young people. These hikes often begin when dark and continue during the night. The city of Vienna appeals to drivers to be particularly careful because many amphibians are run over on the streets. To protect the animals, amphibian guidelines and toad fences were installed on heavily frequented hiking routes, which they lead safely under the streets.

active citizens in wildlife observation

A remarkable project for wildlife observation in Vienna, known as the “city wild animal”, recorded over 4,000 sightings of wild animals in his first year, as ORF Science . This shows the great interest of the population in the domestic wildlife and promotes awareness of the “wild roommates” of the city. The initiative is a collaboration between wildlife biologists from Austria and Switzerland, which collect data on biodiversity in urban areas. The fox in particular was the focus of the observations, whereby it gathered in allotment gardens and at the Burgtheater.

For the next year, the focus is on the badger, the nocturnal lifestyle makes it difficult to grasp his population. The scientists rely on the support of the citizens and even offer “Citizen Science Awards” to reward work. In the future, the project management is planning to expand the observation platform to other Austrian cities in order to compare more comprehensive data about the wildlife stocks in urban rooms.