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Simply Savoie

Guided walking – snowshoeing – via ferrata in the French Alps with Mark Tennent

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Wildlife

Wolves in the French Alps

The wolf is now well-established in the French Alps.  Locally, in Savoie, two wolves were seen at the ski resort of Courchevel. They were spotted and photographed after dark by one of the ski resort employees whilst driving a piste machine. Earlier in the winter ski patrollers came across the remains of a deer surrounded by wolf foot prints.

The wolf (Canis lupus) lives in a wide variety of areas in the Northern hemisphere from wooded plains to the mountains.? The wolf is adapted for running and long journeys. It weighs around 35kg for a male and 25kg for the female. Wolves are social animals and live in family groups. Within this group is a dominant couple and this year’s off-spring and sometimes one or two from the year before. In France the packs range from two to six at the end of winter, rarely more than eight. The packs territory depends on the amount of potential prey.

In the French Alps a typical territory is in the order of 200 ? 400 km2. Young wolves typically leave the pack when they are between two and four years old. These wolves account for between 10% and 40% of the wolf population. At this stage they are vulnerable with little experience as they hunt alone in an unknown territory.

What the Wolf Preys On

The wolf eats a wide range of food including insects and fruit but typically it will prey on hoofed animals like deer and sheep. It will also feed on carrion. The wolf is very adaptable to its environment but to survive needs reliable food source year round. Wild animals typically chamois, deer and wild boar make up its principle prey and help to control these populations when they become too abundant. The wolf population self-regulates (according to certain observers) as the mortality rate of young wolves increases when there is not enough prey. However the wolf will try to take domestic animals mainly in the spring and autumn. In the French Alps farmers use ?patou? ( Pyrenean mountain dogs) to protect flocks and herds from predation.

History of the Wolf in France

At the end of the 18th century there were 10, 000 ? 20,000 wolves in France, present from the shores of the Atlantic to the high mountains of the Alps and Pyrenees. After a well-coordinated effort of extermination the wolf disappeared from France in the 1930’s. The last of them were found in the Dordogne, Charente, Vienne and the Haute Vienne. In the Alps it had disappeared thirty years earlier.

The Return of the Wolf

The first indications of the return of the wolf to France was in the Southern Alps in the late 1980’s. There was a confirmed sighting in the Mercantour (Alpes Maritime) in November, 1992. They had not been re-introduced but had come from the Abruzzes mountains of Italy.

The return has been helped by wolves being a protected species (the Berne Convention); an abundance of wild hoofed animals and previously cultivated ground being abandoned and becoming wooded again. In Europe the wolf has benefited from the increased population of roe deer and wild boar. Wolves are not afraid to cross urbanised areas and transport infrastructure like railways and motorways. A few yeas after this first sighting wolves were observed in many areas of the Alps and other mountainous areas including the Vosges, Jura, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees. There’s no reason why they will limit themselves to just mountainous areas and are quite capable of colonising most regions in France. The wolf only needs a good population of prey.

The French Wolf Population Remains Precarious

At the end of the winter of 2015 the wolf population in France was estimated at 282 (source: ONCFS). By way of comparison in Spain and Italy there were 2000 and 1000 ? 1500 respectively.

Recent Wolf Encounters with Man

Encounters with man are relatively rare as they are unobtrusive, fearful and cover vast areas. In France the fear of wolves seems be instilled in the collective memory despite the only attacks on man being linked with rabies.? Protection dogs (“Patou” / Pyrenean Mountain Dogs) are being used by farmers to protect flocks from attacks by wolves. Studies have shown these dogs to be very effective if used properly. http://www.observatoireduloup.fr/

Vultures in the French Alps

There are three types of vultures in the French Alps.? These are:

  • The Bearded Vulture or Lammergeier (French: Gypaete Barbu; Latin: Gypaetus barbatus )
  • The Griffon vulture (French: Vautour fauvre; Latin: Gyps fulvus )
  • The Eurasian Black Vulture or Cinereous Vulture (Latin: Aegypius monachus; French: Vautour Moine)

The Bearded Vulture

Concerning the Gypaete Barbu, as of 2013 there were nine breeding pairs in the French Alps seven of which are resident in Savoie & Haute Savoie.? Overall in the Alpine ?Arc? there are just twenty-seven breeding couples; so the French Alps do quite well here!

This makes me realise quite how fortunate I am to see this magnificent bird on a regular basis.? During this last winter almost each time I’ve gone to area of Champagny-le-Haut I’ve had a sighting of the gypaete.? On one occasion it ?performed? for about five minutes, soaring effortlessly along the south-facing slopes of the valley looking for its next meal.? The other area where I’ve observed the vulture is leading up to the Col de la Vanoise from Pralognan-la-Vanoise.
The gypaete had completely disappeared from the Alps at the beginning of the 20th century.? Today, even though there is some optimism it remains one of the most threatened in Europe.? This despite an introduction programme that has gone on for 30 years.

The Gypaete lives for about 30 years.? After 6 years its chances of survival approach 95%.? It doesn’t reproduce until it reaches 8 years old and produces on average 1 off-spring every 3 years.? So the rate of population growth is extremely slow and any disturbance causing a reduction in this rate has a marked affect on the species rate of growth.? An interesting fact to note is that vultures return to the place they first flew.? Vultures fitted with gps trackers have been logged flying from the Vanoise to Austria, back via Italy and then heading as far as Madrid in Spain before coming back stopping off in the Cevennes!? An impressive journey.

The gypaete is a very curious bird and it’s not rare to see it approach man.? At the same time it’s fearful and sensitive notably in the proximity to it’s nesting area.? The ?Le Projet LIFE Gyphelp? is not about trying to ban everything but about finding a way to reconcile human activities and the tranquility of the species.

Threats to the vultures

The greatest risk to vultures include: poisoning, collisions with overhead cables and disturbance.

Poisoning is not necessarily deliberate.? Sometimes it is as a result of the vultures eating the carcases of dead farm animals that have been given drugs by vets.? The anti-inflammatory drug ?Diclofenac? is fatal to vultures.? Another source of poisoning is the ingestion of lead fragments from animals killed by hunters.? The lead in animal remains is ingested by the bird and given the extreme ph value of the gypaetes gastric juices (around ph 2) the lead is dissolved.? This then enters the blood stream and bird ends up dying from lead poisoning.

Collisions from overhead cables in the form of electicity cables or ski lift cables is known to have been the cause of death of a number of birds.? Thanks to the action of the ?Projet LIFE GypHelp? the more critical cables have been fitted with warning markers that has decreased the fatality level for birds and not just the vulture.

Human disturbance to vultures, particularly when nesting, can cause the birds to abandon the nest and its eggs or young off-spring.? These disturbances can be the result of a range of outdoor activities and photography.? One breeding pair were disturbed by ?speed riders? (a small paraglider with the person on skis) near Peisey-Nancroix and they deserted the nest with a young bird that subsequently died.? The people involved have been prosecuted in the courts.

You can find out more on the following sites.

www.gypaete-barbu.com

www.facebook.com/centreelevagegyp

http://www.vautoursenbaronnies.com/

The Ibex the emblematic animal of the Alps

The ibex is the emblematic animal of the Alps. The ibex (or bouquetin in French) is an animal that likes rocky ground, not necessarily in the mountains and is well adapted to high altitudes. In the mountains it finds a last refuge from man.

It was on the edge of extinction at the end of the 19th century however the population is now stable. 100 000 years ago the ibex was present in all the rocky regions of Western Europe as fossils, bones and Neolithic paintings in numerous caves testify.

Slowing the decline

It was present throughout the Alpine Arc up until the beginning of the 15th century. Man’s increasing occupation and cultivation of the alpine valleys and the development of weapons with increased range increased its decline.

At the edge of extinction

At the start of the 19th century there was only just about 100 individuals in the French and Italian Alps. It had completely disappeared from the Swiss alps.

Saved by another king!

King Victor Emmanuel collected hunting trophies and noting the decline of the ibex he introduced a law ?Regie Patenti? of the 21st September 1821. This law outlawed the hunting of ibex on the royal hunting grounds of the Grand Paradiso, and subsquently the whole of the territory of the Maison de Savoie.

In 1922, the Royal Reserve of the Grand Paradiso created in 1856, became an Italian National Park. In France it was not until 1963 that the Vanoise National Park was created. The ibex became its emblem. At this time there were only about 50 ibex left in the area above Modane and Termignon (in the Maurienne valley).

The current situation

After numerous studies regarding protection and re-introduction programmes around 40, 000 exist in the whole of the Alpine Arc. In the French Alps it is estimated there are between 6 000 and 8000 individuals. In France it has complete protection. (Bargy).

The future for the ibex?

Despite an increase in numbers the it is still watched over carefully. Certain illnesses regularly touch certain populations with occasionally high mortality rates. Most recently cases of brucellose have been found in ibex in the Bargy area of the Aravis mountains. Introduction programmes are still taking place, most recently in the Chartreuse.

Additional Facts

The ibex belongs to the ?capra? family which includes all the capra species both wild and domestic; that is to say, goats. The classification distinguishes 6 goat species and 5 sub-species. Elsewhere in the world most ibex are considered to be threatened with extinction.

A year with the ibex

The end of the autumn is the time of the rut. The fur thickens and becomes darker. Up until now male and females have lived separately but now they come together for the duration of the rut.

The female ibex (etagne) is only receptive to the males for a few days a year whilst the male remains interested for several weeks. The male walks around with his tail up showing off the white fur on his white bottom.

An excited male follows a female step-for-step exuding a pungent aroma. His tongue moves in and out scenting the odours of the females. An indication of how receptive they are. Those females continuing to eat shows their indifference to being approached. Even if the hierarchy amongst males is well established ritual combat keeps the males busy. The dominant male has the privilege of mating with most of the females, a privelege that he guards jealously,waiting for the moment the females are receptive to his advances.

Winter awaiting for the spring

The ibex look for south facing cliffs and ridges where the snow is usually stripped bare by the wind. Lichen, moss and bushes and dry grass make up the majority of their food. Fat reserves built up during the summer allow him to get through the winter. A male in good health can lose up to 50% of his weight during the winter. It’s also the moment when the females are gestating.

The spring time and the arrival of the cabris

When the snow thaws the ibex descend to the valleys to make the most of the fresh grass. The animals are in herds clearly separate; males in one and females and young in another. Occasionally some young males accompany the females. They moult getting rid of their thick winter coats, rubbing themselves with their horns or on rocks. At the start of June the females find themselves alone and give birth to their off-spring. Pregnancy lasts around 5 months. Only 3 days old the young are already climbing on the rocks.

The summer, pastures, siestas and games

The ibex head higher in the mountains. Males of all ages make up one group and the females and young in another.

The horns

Reaching up to 1 metre in length and weighing more than 6 kg the males horns are impressive. The females aren’t quite so dramatic with horns reaching on average only 25cm with a weight of c. 200g. The number of ringlets on a males horns don’t directly indicate its age. The horn is composed of a case of keratine, like finger nails, hooves. If the bony base stops growing after 13 years the tips contine to grow for all of their life. The annual rings stop growing during the winter allowing one to age the animal.

Adult male: height at the shoulder 75 ? 90cm; weight: 65 ? 100kg; lifespan: up to 15 years

Adult female: height: 70 ? 78cm; weight: 35 ? 50kg; lifespan: slight more than the male; characteristics: finer than the male, head resembling a domestic goat, no ringlets on the horns; horns much thinner and shorter than the male.

Eterlou or Eterle: either male or female in their 2nd year. About 2/3 the size of an adult.

Cabri: this year’s young. 2 ? 3.5 kg at birth. Reaches about 10kg during the sumer and autumn.

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