The wolf disappeared from Brittany 140 years ago. And it is also at Cloître-Saint-Thégonnec (Finistère), in the heart of the Armorique Regional Natural Park (PNRA), where the wolf museum has been located since 1986, that the last canis lupus lupus was killed in 1884. But it is also in the lands adjoining it today, on the Ménez-Meur estate, that two real European wolves live in the open air, in safety.
Thanks to donations from naturalists and researchers over the decades, this atypical museum, particularly suitable for families and schools, who gravitate there throughout the year, has the largest collection in France to tell the story of the canine. the most feared in the history of humanity. “Unfortunately, this fear of the wolf is still anchored in the collective unconscious,” regrets Élisabeth Tachon, mediator and museum facilitator. She, like the many teachers who come here with their classes, seeks to demystify this fear, and “put biodiversity back at the center of the debate”. “These are animals that are still being mistreated. Wolves have attacked humans in very specific contexts in history – periods of war or famine, in particular. This is partly what we tell through the scenography,” explains the mediator.
Through this permanent exhibition space of more than 400 m², the wolf can be discovered in all its facets, from its biology to its behavior, from its disappearance to its importance for biodiversity, but also from its imagery to its stories. “Storytelling and storytellers – the museum works a lot with the Addes association – are of great importance in our events throughout the year and in our permanent space,” explains Élisabeth Tachon. Moreover, the Museum is calling for donations to be able to film three new tales which will be added to the permanent collection, in the video room. “The project costs 27,000 euros… and we are only a popular education museum,” sighs the mediator. “We will soon launch grant applications and an online prize pool, because we fear that it will not be enough…”
Furthermore, two competitions for all audiences (schools included) have just been launched: a short story competition on the theme of “the steppe pack” and a visual arts competition aimed at imagining a portrait of one's family transformed into pack. “With many prizes to be won… around the wolf, obviously,” explains Élisabeth Tachon with a smile.
