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Editorial Courrier du Pays de Retz
Published on
Nov. 6, 2024 at 2:24 p.m.
; updated Nov 6, 2024 at 2:32 p.m.
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The town hall of Saint-Jean de Boiseau (Loire-Atlantique), by a press release dated Wednesday November 6, 2024announces “the end of the operation to slaughter the herd of wild cattle”.
The alert on social networks was given at the start of 2024. A resident of Saint-Jean de Boiseau, “disgusted by the atrocity of this situation”, posted on Facebook shocking photos of malnourished cows, mired, and even corpses.
The goal: to denounce the living conditions of this herd installed in the marshes of the Bas de Boiseau, on the banks of the Loire.
Alternatives that turned out to be inapplicable
The situation had been going on for a long time and despite several reports, notably from individuals and the town hall to the Departmental Directorate for Population Protection (DDPP), the matter did not seem to be moving.
Contacted early October 2024, Pascal Pras, mayor of Saint-Jean de Boiseau, announced “the terrible solution”: slaughter.
“This decision was taken after exploring multiple alternative solutions, which proved to be inapplicable due to the constraints specific to this situation,” underlines the town hall.
“In the wild and unidentified”
It is now done. Thirty-five cattle living in the Boiseau marshes were therefore slaughtered, on site, by a team of hunters under the command of a sworn official. The carcasses were removed from the marsh and transported to the rendering plant.
This decision helped avoid the extreme living conditions that the herd would have faced this winter. »
“Preventing animal suffering”
The municipality emphasizes that this decision was not taken lightly and that it is part of an approach aimed at preventing animal suffering.
The cows concerned, having evolved in the wild and without identification, present health and behavioral risks which prevent them from being reintegrated into a food circuit. »
Rescue impossible
The configuration of the marshes, “an often impassable sector, adds numerous constraints, limits the possibilities for intervention and increases the risks for professionals. These elements, combined with the wild behavior of the animals and their large numbers, make impossible any rescue solution, applicable in another context and in another place. »
“Act before the winter season”
The municipality has also called on “two animal protection associations to evaluate alternatives, with no return from them. Acting before the winter season was therefore essential to avoid a repeat of the situation of last winter, where animals suffered from extreme conditions. »
Legal proceedings
The municipality confirms that legal proceedings have been initiated against the farmer responsible for this situation.
The municipality also wishes to reaffirm its commitment to local professionals, “that it is available to support them within the framework of its skills and resources. Such a situation must not happen again. »
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