Storm Alex: the difficult hunt for stray wolves in Alpha Park

They are on the run and obviously have no intention of surrendering.

Wolves, escaped from Alpha Park in Saint-Martin-Vésubie destroyed by storm Alex, have been giving the agents in charge of their capture a hard time for several days.

If two arctic white specimens out of three were found dead, three gray survivors from central Europe, who had not dared to flee the site, were able to be anesthetized and sent to a new refuge in Deux-Sèvres.

But there are still at least six animals missing from a single black pack in Canada.

“We were able to recover some on Monday from this group of seven animals.

He had isolated himself from the others and was caught in an area where we had spotted and baited them, ”explains Eric Hansen, Paca-Corsica interregional director of the French Biodiversity Office (OFP) who is leading the operation.

Yes, but here it is, the fugitives who, at first, had been fixed in a complicated access area and even approached by a careful person who is used to feeding them, have visibly changed neighborhood, assures the specialist.

“We didn't have enough hypodermic rifles at the time to capture them, the helicopters couldn't get the equipment to us in time, they were busy with other important things, which is understandable.

Something happened, the pack left.

The caregiver called them two hours that night, they were no longer there.

"

The "something" in question could in fact be a meeting, dreaded, with ... the local specimens very present in the department.

“We found droppings from local wild gray wolves.

It is believed that there may have been an interaction between these and the captive wolves that may have caused their departure.

“According to our information, five“ Canadians ”out of the six were however observed very furtively early Wednesday morning near Saint-Martin-Vésubie, before fainting again in the wild.

“However, we lost track of the sixth, a wolf

.

"

Some threatened by hunger

Half good news then.

Especially since the mission is very complicated.

“Normally, they have habits, but now they are wandering in an environment that they discover.

They probably take a liking to it.

The wooded and mountainous areas, the absence of roads devastated by bad weather, also make tracking difficult.

“The place is huge.

They may disappear and no longer be seen at all.

And then a lot of people throw away food from their freezers that had been deprived of electricity, adds the manager, which multiplies the sources of taming for these wolves having always been fed by humans.

"

To give themselves a maximum of chances, five agents are mobilized on the spot as well as a dog specialized in the tracking of wild animals.

Night vision cameras have been provided "but have their limits especially when the vegetation is very wooded".

The urgency of the capture accelerates over the days.

Canada's wolves, with dark coats, sturdier and heavier than the native high-legged and profiled for the mountain, could have difficulty adapting and "starve" in the long term.

But Eric Hansen remains hopeful: “They don't know how to hunt.

Even if they succeed, the sheep will soon come back down which will make them a possible source of food in less and a card to play for us ”.

Very hypothetical but possible, the fear of crossing with regional congeners is an additional reason to end the run because the idea, he emphasizes, is not to let this species settle which has nothing to do here.

"

Mystery around the third white wolf

Contrary to some rumors on the ground, despite their strong build (the alpha male of the sought-after pack weighs 56 kg), these animals are in no way dangerous or aggressive, rather inclined to run away when confronted with an unknown noise or to the man.

The specialists will continue their efforts on Wednesday promises the interregional director of the OFB: “As we think that they will mainly travel at night, we will therefore try again this evening.

"

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While awaiting the result of these long hours of chase facing cunning opponents, to say the least, a special telephone number is set up to collect the testimonies of the inhabitants (06.87.26.33.64).

The search notice is all the more topical as the mystery remains around another thief: the third white arctic wolf whose remains were not found unlike those of his two friends.

"Considering its color, I think it would have been pointed out to us, that someone would have seen it, but some in the park believe it ..."