The scene took place in the Jura, in the town of Bois d’Amont on the night of April 28 to 29. Two residents attended the scene, partly filmed. Decryption.
Four wolves on their land. It is pitch black when a man and a woman are filming part of this scene. On the resort of Les Rousses, four wolves surround a young deer from all sides who have come to take refuge near their home. “I do not want to see that !” hears-on in this video of1’36 shared many times on the networks social. Seeing a wolf in front of your house is unlikely to happen. See four even less!
We were able to contact the author of this video. He didn’t want to say more.
For many months, wolves have been present in this sector. Bois d’Amont is a valley, with two packs installed on each side, one on the Swiss sector of the Marchairuzthe other on the French side of the forest of Risoux. About twenty wolves would be present at this time. The Jura is a colonization front of the European gray wolf. Wolves are regularly seen there by the locals.
According to the association Defend tea wolves who works in the Vaudois Jura, the young wolves filmed by the Bois d’amonier come from the pack known as the Risoux. They were seen and filmed by Defend tea wolves on the night of April 29 to 30, 2023. The volunteers who have been in the field for several days were able to observe that night a first wolf at less than 100mthe three wolves at 200m and the 4 wolves 500m. And many traces of their presence.
As for the deer, the story ended there. His carcass was found near the Swiss border. “When there is predation, the wolf stays around 24 to 36 hours” explains Fabrice Monnet, president and founder of Defend tea wolves and head of the wolf protection brigade on the Swiss sector of the Marchairuz.
A deer attacked by one or more wolves in the Jura.
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© Defend the wolf
For him, this attack on the border town of Bois d’Amont should not worry. “
You have to make allowances, not stir up hatred. We have two packs of wolves in the area. We have to see them, like we see a family of foxes… We are in a place where there are wolves, we have to get used to it.
Fabrice Monnet, Defend the wolf
Patrick Raydeletchairman of the Large Pole Predators is photographer, wolf specialist in particular. Just like its Swiss colleague, the video filmed in Bois d’Amont does not surprise him more than that. “The wolf is like us, he goes to the supermarket. As long as potential prey is present, it will follow them” he said. Patrick Raydelet travels regularly to Abruzzo in Italy. “There are villages where stags and hinds are present. Wolves will seek prey where it is. There is nothing extraordinary, tragic. It’s nature” he recalls.
For the defender of biodiversity and the wolf, a protected species, this kind of attack in the middle of the village can happen again. Mentalities will have to change. “In Abruzzo, we regularly hide in areas where the wolf is present. Sometimes carcasses are found near soccer fields. There, the state of mind is not the even”. “In France, it will still take time, seeing a carcass in a village is still shocking today” adds Patrick Raydelet.
Bois d’Amont is in the territory of the wolf, and not the other way around.
Natacha Bigan, Ferus
Natasha bigan representative of Ferus Jura also relativizes the scene which the two inhabitants of Bois d’Amont were able to witness from their house. “We see wolves doing their job as carnivores. It’s impressive, certainly, but this person could have just witnessed a hunting scene of a predator”. “Bois d’Amont is in the territory of the wolf, and not the other way around”. She adds that this scene is normal, because the wolf doesassociate not the presence of houses to that of man. It is even rather reassuring according to her to see these wolves undoubtedly learning to hunt ungulates rather than attack cattle.
With the arrival of spring, the attack zones could change. Wolves will find other prey in the mountain pastures, such as young cattle. In the summer of 2022, the attacks multiplied in the Doubs and in the Jura. Farmers have lost many animals. Several associations like ferusVigie Jura have set up training courses for volunteers so that they can intervene in the field with breeders when an attack occurs or is feared. The association ferus is in the process of equipping farmers who so wish with photo traps, in an attempt to anticipate the risk of attacks.
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