This poster is on the town hall noticeboard in Yzeures sur Creuse. It says:
Preparing for the Arrival of the Wolf
What to do
You are a grazier wanting to protect against attacks:
- bring all your animals in to a closed building at night if possible, or gather them into an electric fenced enclosure (4 strands minimum).
- check on your animals regularly in order to: discern any abnormal behaviour; do a head count.
You suspect a wolf in proximity to your herd:
- contact the OFB* with any sightings of any animal ressembling a wolf.
- leave a message with your name, phone number, address, where the animal was sighted and any other information you think is pertinant.
Your herd has just been attacked and you suspect a wolf is responsible:
- you must immediately phone or email the OFB.
- immediately email the DDT*, giving them your name, phone number, address and name of the place where the attack happened, the number of animals injured and/or killed, and any other information you consider relevant.
While waiting for the case officer touch nothing.
- note where all the bodies are.
- protect the bodies from scavengers without moving them (cover them with sacks, tarpaulins, rocks, etc).
- avoid walking around the site to preserve possible tracks and signs left by the predator.
- if necessary call your vet for possible care of injured animals and ask them for a detailed bill. The vet must under no circumstances complete the damages statement. Only the case officer can do this.
- record the full identification number of each of the killed or injured animals along with their characteristics (age, weight, status in the herd).
- wait for the case officer to complete the report before calling the knacker.
A report by the case officer will be produced within 48 hours of the attack being declared. The livestock owner must also adhere to this time frame.
In the case of an attack not being confirmed as a wolf [by the OFB] you can apply to the DDT for a review.
The map at the bottom shows that graziers in Indre et Loire could be eligible for State aide to protect their flocks with guardian dogs, and have access to an advisor.
*OFB - Office Français de la Biodiversité; DDT - Direction départemental des territoires.
1 comment:
I hope they are safe, the wolves that roam at this time of the year. If I remember correctly, it's not very common for the wolf to be responsible for attacks around here, but there have been a few. More often it is a dog that is proven responsible after analysis. But yes, for the farmers, the loss is the same. It's a difficult line, this one, because the wolf is a predatory species, and should be here, and in Scotland, where recent research has show them to be valuable in more ways that one!), but the users of the fields, forests etc have to be on board.
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