This is a first in a century.
The prefecture of Vendée announced this Thursday that a gray wolf has been identified in the Loire department.
He was able to be photographed on May 14, in Jard-sur-Mer, thanks to a trap "aimed at monitoring wildlife".
The French biodiversity office (OFB) was able to authenticate the presence of the wolf in this photo.
This photo has not been published.
Wild fauna - a wolf identified in # Vendée
Find the press release: https://t.co/qUNLzBrsod pic.twitter.com/7opEhAKTof
- Prefect of the Vendée (@PrefetVendee) May 27, 2021
"If the encounter of the wolf in Vendée could be the first for more than a century, the species is known for its great capacity of dispersal, in particular for the young individuals in phase of research of territory", continues the prefecture of Vendée in a statement. The wild wolf, since its return to the Southern Alps in 1992, has been seen in the Pyrenees, Lorraine, Burgundy, Somme or even New Aquitaine.
Is the observed wolf still in Vendée?
Nobody knows.
The period is that of "dispersal" for wolves, the youngest born during the spring hunt the less young who must then find a new territory to settle, until they travel several hundred kilometers before settling.
“These individuals in the dispersal phase can stay from a few days to several months in a sector before leaving it,” explains the Vendée prefecture.
The speed of movement and the discretion of this animal from one point to another means that the species can easily go unnoticed along its dispersal path.
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Several attacks on animals
"Several damages have been identified", specifies the prefecture of Vendée. According to Les Sables, a local newspaper, several goat and sheep attacks have taken place in recent weeks. A total of six attacks have been reported and several complaints have been received following bites on farm animals. “This species is protected throughout the metropolitan territory. Any destruction is prohibited and punishable by law with a fine and a prison sentence ”, also specify the authorities. And to specify: "It is a discreet and fearful animal which does not represent a danger for the man. "
The OFB estimated, in 2020, at 580 the number of adult wolves in France, an increase compared to 2019. These carnivores, eradicated by man in the 1930s and returned naturally by Italy in the 1990s, are mainly concentrated in the Alps, the South-East and the East.
