A total of 209 colorful ibexes were sent as ambassadors from Graubünden to the national exhibition Expo 02 in Neuchâtel. The municipality of Ilanz/Glion, which owns 11 of these polyester animals, must now sell them for financial reasons.
The Ilanz/Glion budget is in the red. The municipality therefore got its hands on “the crown jewels” and had to resolve to sell its multicolored ibexes. Until now, the animals were scattered among the factions of 11 of the 13 former municipalities which merged ten years ago to form the large municipality of Ilanz/Glion. The “fur” of the animals was creatively painted in 2002 by village students in the colors of the coat of arms of the time, before being sent to Expo.02 in French-speaking Switzerland.
External content
This external content cannot be displayed because it may collect personal data. To view this content you must authorize the category Services Tiers.
Accept More info
Not everyone returned from Expo.02
While most of these colorful animals have had a good life in recent years, for some it has been more difficult: the Luven ibex lives on the roof of a garage exposed to all weather but enjoys human company occasional, which is not the case for Duvin and Ruschein ibexes who have to spend their days alone in a dilapidated room without light.
Eleven of the 13 ibexes are now being sold at auction – two were sold at the time. As municipalities had to pay 1,200 francs per animal in order to collect it after the exhibition, eight of the 209 municipalities in Graubünden did not do so. If Ilanz/Glion manages to sell all of its 11 head of cattle at this price, it would earn it 13,200 francs. This is a start – even if it remains modest – to lighten the burden on the municipal budget.
Franco Caviezel (RTR)
Swiss
