Mountain Wildlife in France

France visitors expect to see medieval villages and beautiful scenery, but wild animals, nature, life usually forgotten. However, France has very large areas of unspoiled nature, many species of rare and unusual way to live in peace, especially in forests and mountain regions.

Perhaps the best known, because too often the news, Pyreneean bears. Many of these brown bears released inmountains in recent years, to the pleasure of environmentalists and the annoyance of local sheep farmers.

Although sheep farmers get full compensation for any sheep killed by bears, they still object noisily to their reintroduction and the danger they present. The problem has emerged because over the last 100 years, with bears being almost extinct in France, the shepherds have stopped breeding the ferocious hunting dogs that used to protect the flocks. So now that the bears are being reintroduced from Slovenia, the sheep have little protection.

While you are thinking about the threat from bears in France, remember there are perhaps 20 bears in France and 5,000 in New York City!

The second large mammal to get a hard time in France is the wolf. Hunted to extinction in the country by the 1930's, the wolves have now re-entered France from Italy and live in remote places in the Alps, especially the Mercantour Alps.

Not Surprisingly, as with the Pyreneean is the sheep farmers who complain louder about the wolves kill their animals. But statistics seem to indicate that the threat of wolves is very small. Despite what one might expect that wolves would almost always run and hide rather than seek confrontation with people, and a visit to the mountain, it is very unlikely to see a wolf.

The lynx, a large wild cat was retrieved successfully even in the mountainsfollowing earlier extinction across France and most of Europe. They are now a highly protected species.

Some other 'mountain mammals' are also unlikely to be seen. The Alpine Marmot is very similar to (and closely related to) the American groundhog, and lives above the tree-line in these mountainous regions. You may hear the curious marmot sound, half whistle and half bark, as it warns of your approach.

Two other unusual mountain animals are the ibex and the chamois - both are 'large goat' types of animal. Both are also very good mountain climbers, and may even be seen on mountain tops if food is present. A chamois has even been reported as seen near the summit of Mont Blanc. By preference they live in the lower regions where food is more plentiful- it is the presence of man that has forced them high up the mountains.

So you can feel safe to visit France, even the mountains, but be aware that when you are walking a quiet path through a high, rugged, region you might not be alone...