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In France in particular and in Western Europe in general probably, the Greens and their politicians accomplices have used the same rationale for re-introducing and fully protecting wolf and lynx; "this will benefit the eco-system by improving the quality of the existing big game stock and reducing over grazing". This was the theory, seen with rose-tinted spectacles.

The practice is slightly different:
- Although lynx does not prey on sheep and cattle, they impact negatively on roe deer (one adult roe deer a week for an adult lynx on an average basis), and also on chamois populations to a lesser extent.
- Wolf (c.1000 in France, population increasing annually since first Italian wolves crossed the Alps in early 1990’s) have almost wiped out the mouflon population in the French Alps (mouflon being an easy quarry to catch in heavy snow); of course wolf also prey on other large wild mammals (red deer, roe deer, wild boar mainly) but as they are not always easy to catch, they prefer turning on sheep. Financial compensation paid with tax-payer money by French Government to farmers averaged EURO 30 Million (USD 31,5M) in 2020 and increases annually. Wolf populations growth is in theory under control and a “Wolf Brigade” (Government Agents only as wolf not eligible to hunting) kills annually 20% of the estimated stock, however population increases steadily, there are now around 150 identified packs in-country and single wolves have in 2022 been spotted as far as in Normandy and Western Brittany.

Louis

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"Everything that doesn't kill me makes me stronger"

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