Ravenous wolves colonise France, terrorise shepherds

yahoo.com ^ | 28 July, 2011 | Antoine Agasse

[marktwain]

A bloody, stinking sheep's carcass greets shepherd Yves Vignon as he walks to check on his flock on the foggy Alpine heights. It's the 17th of his ewes to be savaged in a month.

The mountains over Grenoble were once an ideal grazing ground for his 900 sheep. But now, after long banishment, the wolves are back -- bolder and hungrier than ever.

"We came to this spot on June 24. A week later we were attacked" by wolves, Vignon, 62, told AFP. It was the first of at least four attacks over the past month.

"Every morning when I get up, I wonder what I am going to find on the spot where the sheep have spent the night," he says. "I'm not here to feed those wolves!"

Wolves were eradicated in France in the 1930s, but made a comeback in the southern Alps in 1992, crossing from Italy. They have spread through eastern France, first to the Savoy and this year to the Vosges and Doubs regions.

The predators have also appeared in the Pyrenees and in the heart of France in the Massif Central mountain range, but the government says these far-flung wolves also originate from the Italian pack.

Regional authorities estimate the French wolf population at between 170 and 200 this year, up from 140 to 170 last year. The government says wolves killed 1,329 animals, mostly sheep, in France this year up to July 22.

"We are beginning to wonder if there is a type of wolf that has no fear... since humans are not doing anything to them," says Pascal Grosjean, a French government wolf expert.

One such pack of fearless wolves swooped on a flock in broad daylight under the noses of two shepherds and five sheep dogs in the Alps in November

[momtothree]

Are they that heavy?!! I’m trying to put it in a perspective that I would understand... for example, my GSD is between 100-110 pounds. So, are Western wolves the size of Mastiffs or do they carry the weight differently?

[driftdiver]

They are Canadian, not really western wolves as we think of them. Here is one pic I found on the internet.

[momtothree]

Dang... just dang! They are the size of the wolves in the movie, “Twilight”. I think that one is Jacob?!! Can you imagine strolling through the woods and meeting up with one.. or a pack of those monsters?!

[B4Ranch]

Contrary to popular belief, they do kill for the fun of it.

[TheOldLady]

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[wizzardude]

The Mini-14 comes in 6.8 SPC as well as .223 (though Ruger technically calls it a "Mini 6.8").

[Bulwyf]

That is true, they kill for the sheer joy of it sometimes.

[rickk]

Yellowstone has done a great study of wolves. They weigh every wolf they capture to radio collar, transport or whatever. The heaviest on record is 141 lbs. The average male is actually under 100 lbs.Females are lighter.

[rickk]

The average weight of the wolves killed last season was 95 lbs. This info. is from Fish and Game. Some people really like to exaggerate the wolf size.

[rickk]

Since the wolves were reintroduced in 1995, there has been no violent encounters between wolves and humans in the lower 48 states. Every single large predator has more violent encounters with humans than wolves do.

[rickk]

The Yellowstone study weighs every wolf thay catch to radio collar, transport or whatever. The heaviest wolf every caught weighed 141 lbs. The average male is just under 100 lbs. Females are lighter.

[driftdiver]

141 lbs is pretty dang big. We don’t need wolves in the forest.

[driftdiver]

“there has been no violent encounters between wolves and humans in the lower 48 states. “

Thats simply not true. There have been numerous stories posted on FR about aggressive wolves and people. In Alaska there was the woman who was eaten alive by wolves.

We know what wolves do, they are not a peaceful creature.

We also know what they are doing to the deer and elk populations and its not a pretty sight.

[momtothree]

“Some people really like to exaggerate the wolf size...”

Like I do with fishing! Did I ever tell you the story about the flounder I caught that was the size of a doormat?! (LOL)

[rickk]

Driftdriver,
I have heard many conflicting stories regarding wolves. As a result I started doing research. I said there has been no violent encounters by wolves against humans since the reintroduction in 1995 - in the lower 48 states. That is true. No statistics are kept on wolves harassing people so I don't know the truth about that. A woman was killed in Alaska in 2010. The Alaskan paper that originally reported, said the killing appeared to be by a bear. They also said that there was wolf footprints in the area. The Alaska Fish and Game got the story and reported it as a wolf kill. The Alaska Fish and Game was taking lots of heat at the time for their areal killing of wolves.
“Wolves are not peaceful creatures” - Wolves kill fewer people than any large carnivore or domestic dogs. I have the statistics on that. I don't have statistics on this but overwhelming anecdotal information says that deer have more violent encounters with humans that wolves do.
As to deer and elk populations, I have only looked at elk since that is the wolfs primary prey. In Montana, the statewide population of elk is above objectives set by the state game agency.In Wyoming, their numbers are 50% above state objectives. And in Idaho, the elk population grew by 2,000 animals in the last year.With the wolf back, elk spend less time lingering in meadows and riverbeds and more time maintaining vantage points where they can detect approaching threats earlier.
I have been studying wolves and their affect on the environment for a very short time. I will continue to learn. That is the reason I logged on to this site in the first place. I will always say when things I state are fact or just my opinion.

[rickk]

141 lbs. is the very heaviest one. This past hunting year, the average weight was about 95lbs. Adult wolves can live in 40 degree below weather. They have three coats of fur - this makes them look bigger than they are.
Wolves are less of a threat to humans than any other large carnivore. Fish and Game has data on this.

[rickk]

“That is true, they kill for the sheer joy of it sometimes.”

I know dogs and cats (some, not all) kill just to kill. I know that humans kill just to kill (trophy hunters). I recently watched an on-line video where two young boys chased down a fox with snowmobiles, with a couple of older men, in the background, cheering with glee with each almost hit of the fox. Finally the fox was hit and killed.
At this point I assume that wolves must kill some for the thrill of the kill. None of this activity was observed either in the Yellowstone project or the Sawtooth (Dutcher)project. The Yellowstone project did observe “surplus killing and wounding” where wolves would be chasing elk and a small group would take a wolf in one spot while another small group of the pack would take another elk. The researchers did state that the wolves would come back later and eat the excess elk (if it hadn't been already eaten by other scavengers”.
I could easily see that wolves used to hunting elk would get into sheep and kill several because in the high adrenaline state they are in and the fact that sheep are easier to kill, they would kill more than they could eat.
I would like to here from someone who directly observed wolves killing for the joy of it.
I have been studying wolves for less than one month. For some reason, I am motivated to understand the truth (whatever that turns out to be).