In the Larzac area of Aveyron, south of Millau, a number of flocks of sheep have been attacked with some deaths and disappearances. The causse is widely grazed by sheep and the latest attack left 4 ewes dead three lambs injured and one taken away. Inevitably some locals claim that the attacks are by wolves - though local chasseurs and wildlife wardens say there have been no sightings or traces of wolves.
Most likely culprits are lost dogs, who can join into a pack and will attack flocks of sheep, often causing pregnant ewes to abort.
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From Michelle Ring:
It is important to know that there are compensations given for wolves attacks and not for dog attacks so it is in the interest of the owners of sheep to be able to pin the attacks on wolves. The attacks represent 0,08 % of all deaths and for 6000 sheep killed by wolves a year, 400.000 are killed by lightning and accidents in the Alpages. There has been an increase in the ownership of attack dogs in France as well as a definite demonisation of the wolves. I come from the Alpes de Haute Provence (a hot bed of wolves these days in the Mercantour); we use to see the transhumance on foot with dogs, goats and donkeys and being a shepherd was a very hard and respected job. A friend of mine became one, he had to study (in Rambouillet I think) for a few years, everything from vetinary science, weather forecast and survival skills. Shepherds lived in the Alpages for months at a time, alone, they were often very cultured people, reading, playing music and writing too. They would have been incredibly aware of the herd, reading all signs of danger...now the sheep are plonked in a field with hardly any protection not even a Patou. The problem is not so much with the wolf but with a soulless industrial agriculture .
