The large predators brown bear, wolf, Eurasian lynx and bearded vulture disappeared from Switzerland during the second half of the 19th century. They were deliberately exterminated, but their decline was supported by deforestation and the destruction of their food base, the wild ungulate populations. The predators were forced to prey upon sheep and goats, what boosted and eased their persecution in turn. Since 1850, woodlands in Switzerland have increased by almost 80%, and the wild ungulate populations have recovered. The human population in the Alps and in the Jura Mountains remained almost stagnant, although it multiplied on the Plateau. The ecological preconditions for the existence of the large predators considerably improved in the mountains, allowing for their spontaneous return (wolf, bear) or their re-introduction (lynx, bearded vulture, bear). The recovery is backed through strict legal protection. However, the return of large carnivores into a human dominated landscape causes conflicts, mainly with sheep breeders and hunters, resulting in illegal killings of predators. The acceptance of large carnivores through the local population is relatively weak, and these conflicts can only be solved in a long term by integrating the demands of local interest groups into a management system for large predators.