Wildlife in France

Wildlife in France

Visitors to France expect to see medieval villages and magnificent scenery, but the wild animals that live in the countryside are usually forgotten. However, France has very large areas of unspoiled countryside, allowing many rare and unusual species to live in peace, above all in the forests and in the mountainous regions.
Perhaps best know, because they frequently get in the news, are the Pyreneean bears. Several of these brown bears have been released in the mountains in recent years, to the pleasure of environmentalists and the annoyance of local sheep farmers.
Although sheep farmers get full compensation for any sheep killed by bears, they still object noisily to their reintroduction and the danger they present. The problem has emerged because over the last 100 years, with bears being almost extinct in France, the shepherds have stopped breeding the ferocious hunting dogs that used to protect the flocks. So now that the bears are being reintroduced from Slovenia, the sheep have little protection.
While you are thinking about the threat from bears in France, remember there are perhaps 20 bears in France and 5,000 in New York City!
The second large mammal to get a hard time in France is the wolf. Hunted to extinction in the country by the 1930's, the wolves have now re-entered France from Italy and live in remote places in the Alps, especially the Mercantour Alps.
Not surprisingly, as with the Pyreneean bears it is the sheep farmers who complain the loudest, about the wolves killing their livestock. But the statistics seem to show that the threat from wolves is really extremely small. Despite what you might expect, wolves will almost always run and hide rather than seek a confrontation with humans, and on a visit to the mountains you are very unlikely to see a wolf.
The lynx, a large wild cat, has also been successfully reintroduced in the mountains following earlier extinction across France and most of Europe. They are now a highly protected species.
Some other 'mountain mammals' are also unlikely to be seen. The Alpine Marmot is very similar to (and closely related to) the American groundhog, and lives above the tree-line in these mountainous regions. You may hear the curious marmot sound, half whistle and half bark, as it warns of your approach.
Two other unusual mountain animals are the ibex and the chamois - both are 'large goat' types of animal. Both are also very good mountain climbers, and may even be seen on mountain tops if food is present. A chamois has even been reported as seen near the summit of Mont Blanc. By preference they live in the lower regions where food is more plentiful- it is the presence of man that has forced them high up the mountains.
So you can feel safe to visit France, even the mountains, but be aware that when you are walking a quiet path through a high, rugged, region you might not be alone...

You can read more about the wildlife in France, dangerous or otherwise, at http://www.francethisway.com/wildlife/francewildlife.php