Friday, 9 September 2011

Wolves In Europe

In France there is an immigrant who is causing much concern .... the wolf. Hunted almost to extinction in France in the 1930's , they survived in the French Alps, northern Italy and Switzerland but since a protection law was introduced they have start spreading northwards again. They are  limited only by habitat (wooded areas suit them best).

Its believed that France currently hosts some 200 wolves who have colonised the southern regions of France, and are divided into about 20 packs.

Wolves in France
Of course they are now coming into conflict with farmers, especially sheep herders (their traditional enemies) and already calls for culls are being made with signs painted on the road to Hautes Alpes, in the south-eastern France saying "NO to the wolf." .... Since an anti-hunting code was agreed in 2004, only four wolves have been killed in France, but its expected that this number will rise (illegal killings may have already taken place). Ironically for the 200 wolves in France, there are believed to be 8,000 feral pet dogs in the same areas who kill hundreds of sheep every year.

Some conflicts are eternal, and we just don't seem to be able to resolve them, this is after all the land that gave us "Little Red Riding Hood".

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