Near Montpellier: when the prefect of Hérault supervises the wild rabbit hunt

A invasion and the term does not live up to a worrying phenomenon: for several months, thousands of wild rabbits ransacked hundreds of hectares of vineyards, orchards, market gardens and others, ravaged golf courses by adding an incalculable number of holes in eastern Hérault.

The agricultural and wine world, the elected officials of twelve municipalities are in turmoil in view of the very high damage caused by these nocturnal nibblers, filmed in action, with spectacular videos. Hunters and wolf lieutenants are called to the rescue and do what they can to try to stop these abuses. The prefect of Hérault took up the problem and recently issued an order to ask the mayors concerned to act.

A prefect who traveled to the field to observe the damage and discuss rapid solutions. Friday May 3, 2024 in the evening, after leaving his state representative uniform upon returning from the ceremony at the Resistance and Deportation monument in Sète, vandalized by racist tags, François-Xavier Lauch therefore went in the commune of Mauguio, one of the most affected by these wild rabbit attacks.

Dressed in appropriate clothing, the prefect supervised an operation in twelve rural areas close to the Melgorian city center, with, for this phase of the action plan in force, substantial resources: no less than ten lieutenants of louveterie mobilized with the appropriate weapons have invested tens of hectares.

This type of operation will be renewed in the affected geographic areas -Baillargues, Candillargues, Lansargues, Le Crès, Marsillargues, Mauguio, Montpellier, Mudaison, Saint-Aunès, Saint-Brès, Saint-Just, Saint-Nazaire-de-Pézan- to track down these formidable mammals, hidden during the day in immense burrows. And Saturday evening, when he came to the Vérèvin festival, at Campaignnorth of Lunel, François-Xavier Lauch had the opportunity to discuss this situation, which is a hard blow to farmers and wine growers, already economically strangled and who also have to hunt wild boars.

Recently, Jean-Luc Meissonnier, the mayor of Baillargues went to war, but opting for the virtual way by leaving his rifle in the rack to put up giant humorous posters everywhere, even in the Ecusson, in Montpellier, since he offers to cook wild rabbit!

” I’ve never seen that ! »

A reader of Metropolitan testifies: “A fortnight ago, around 8:30 p.m., while going to Marsillargues by the small road which runs along the banks of the Vidourle from the RN 113, I suddenly found myself with an incredible number of rabbits running everywhere, on the roadway, on embankments, in ditches and in fields. I hadn’t seen that! I braked several times, I saw them in my headlights for at least 1 kilometer, it’s impossible to say how many of them there were, it’s crazy to witness such a scene. I understand better the seriousness of the phenomenon.” And she didn’t even think about crushing a rabbit to test the mayor of Baillargues’ recipe!

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