It is at the Tréan crossroads, at the foot of the Beaux-Monts belvedere in Compiègne, that wildlife photographers aware of the cause of the deer in the national forest have called for a demonstration against the "felling policy" of the National Forestry Office (ONF), this Saturday. About fifty animal rights defenders, forest village residents and mountain enthusiasts gathered to ensure that their voices were heard. Similar groupings in the forest of Chaux, in the Jura, and in Mormal, in the north, took place simultaneously.
This year, following the nightly counts deemed satisfactory, the ONF has increased the hunting plan for deer, hinds and daggers by 20%, thus awarding 342 bracelets to hunters, who rent out the fifteen or so hunting lots in the 14,400 hectares of the Compiègne forest. An aberration for these nature observers, who have been walking the massif since their childhood and who now only see the king of the forest on rare occasions.
"I see more plastic waste than animals"
"The ONF counted animals in the borders, animals that live in another massif. They deliberately inflated the numbers," said Michael Noirot, spokesman for the forest photographers. A fact that Jérôme Jaminon, the director of the NFB in Compiègne, refuted on Friday.
Compiègne, this Saturday. Two similar demonstrations were held in the Lime (Jura) and Mormal (Nord) massifs. (LP/Stéphanie Forestier)
"I learned to walk in the forest. My father was a wildlife photographer. As a child, we would get up at 6 a.m. to see the animals. As soon as we arrived, we could see the deer crossing the road. In the 1990s, we went to Morienval, to the Four d'en Haut, we were sure to find some. I remember seeing herds of more than 150 deer in some places, but now it's over. The ONF doesn't want any more deer in the forest," says Jimmy, 39.
Édouard, 44, feels the same way. "I'm in the forest several times a week and I have my places to see the deer. Frankly, I'm not the only one struggling to find them. We are moving towards eradication. I see more plastic waste and cans than animals. »
Angélique came from Pierrefonds. As a resident of a pasture where deer are accustomed, she was shocked not to have been notified in March of two scaring drives organized by the NFB. "Neither does the town hall! In fact, they were pushed into the national forest to be killed! »
For the ONF, it's just a matter of achieving a balance between flora and fauna. "Deer have their place, but they are harmful to young plants and thus prevent the regeneration of the forest, which is suffering from global warming," explained Jérôme Jaminon, before this Saturday's demonstration. If we let it happen, it will not be renewed. »