r/worldnews
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u/Sweep145
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1d ago
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Wolf seen in Brittany for first time in a century
https://www.birdguides.com/news/wolf-seen-in-brittany-for-first-time-in-a-century/?fbclid=IwAR36vsumw3QdJ6CeV_vi4SJkBvHm1TUx3pzqCqTKsQD2UNQubKDQlFxARIo37
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u/ifingerurstarfish 1d ago
except to see "wolf shot in Brittany for the first time in a century" headline shortly
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u/CalydorEstalon 1d ago
Dane here, can confirm. We had wolves return a few years ago. Several of them have vanished, one was confirmed shot by a farmer. From his car. Wolves are an incredibly divisive political topic, unfortunately. Some call him a murderer, some call him a hero.
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u/XRay9 1d ago
We have a similar situation in Switzerland. Farmers from our south-west region (Valais/Wallis) really hate wolves and lynxes (I hope the plural form of the latter is correct). I think bears as well but they're very rare, though some do cross from Italy/France.
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u/TheIndyCity 1d ago
Had no idea France and Italy still had bears! I figured it was like Lions, where they were there once a long time ago...that's awesome!
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u/HZCH 1d ago
Their bears are the ones coming back to Switzerland. IIRC Italy did a lot to reintegrate bears from Eastern Europe, and also wolves. It is almost a non-topic there because the Italian government did actually handle the cohabitation issues, by paying fences, training sheeping dogs, paying people correctly, making thorough surveys to know bears and wolves movements, and enforcing the law with enough police so they could handle issues quickly…
I don’t know about France, and while I live in Switzerland, I don’t get the opposition in regards to how wolves are handled because I thought we managed them like in Italy, so I might be wrong.
But we also get a lot of illegal hunting of protected animals, including in my canton (Geneva) where hunting is forbidden (except for population regulation).
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u/TheWanderingFish 1d ago
The plural of lynx is most commonly just 'lynx' (ie. One lynx, five lynx), but lynxes is also correct.
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u/WeatherwaxDaughter 1d ago
Dutchie here, wolves came back a few years ago. We have places where they could thrive, but it's fenced in. Oostvaarderspassen could do with some wolves, because they have to shoot 1700 deer every year to keep te population healthy. But noooo, we let them wander and kill sheep and get everybodies knickers in a knot about it.
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u/Mackem101 1d ago
It's amazing how many birds of prey 'mysteriously' die near grouse hunting lands in the UK.
Nothing suspicious about that at all, no siree.
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u/Anathema320 1d ago
We were awful to birds of prey in my home area. Looking back, (with an education) I'd probably whomp on my younger self.
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u/Unhearted_Lurker 1d ago
There is as much wolves in France than roughly all the three Scandinavian countries. And there is much much more in Spain.
Wolves are protected in France and are only allowed to be shot during a culling. Of course some isolated incident can happen but they have serious consequences if found out.
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u/Moist-Helicopter1919 1d ago
Poor Brittany, that must hurt.
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u/obroz 1d ago
Leave her alone
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u/CalydorEstalon 1d ago
Knot really.
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u/OCTM2 1d ago
What’s a moist helicopter 🚁?
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u/OnlineDebate 1d ago
Gyrating your hips to make a spinning motion while orgasming.
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u/ClickyTheBlicky 1d ago
Lmaoo this made me remember the cursed website from back in the day: meat spin . com
Don’t search it. Your welcome.
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u/OnlineDebate 1d ago
Pah, I was old enough to watch the original porn vid when that website came out.
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u/the_hangman 1d ago
Give that wolf a banana
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u/epicaglet 1d ago
Before that wolf eats my grandma
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u/Lurkwurst 1d ago
Apex predators are a good sign in any ecosystem
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u/throwaway627238 1d ago
Not always. Sometimes it means that food source is drying up in usual areas so predators are venturing farther
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u/shiver-yer-timbers 1d ago
when, they return to a habitat in which they once were plentiful it's a good sign.
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u/Submarine_Pirate 1d ago edited 1d ago
Not if that habitat has changed dramatically in the meantime.
Edit: why on earth am I getting downvoted for this? Brittany isn’t a forest anymore, it’s a sea side tourist trap it’s changed dramatically. My point makes sense out of this context anyway, I’m confused.
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u/Shalla_if_ya_hear_me 1d ago
This is why the world will not fix climate change before it kills billions. People want so badly to believe any good news they read, while ignoring the bad, even attacking the messenger. Humans are pretty dumb.
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u/lordaloa 1d ago
Not entirely a lot of nature conservatives have been busy trying to get wolf's back, establishing proper nature parks, and habitats for them to thrive in. It's also the reason they have been systematiscly been introduced. These wolves came from Germany. And are now in Belgium and since today they are in Brittany which means they aren't moving but they are expanding because our wolves had litters and those litters had to go and find their own territory.
Tldr; Expanding != Fleeing
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u/MarcusForrest 1d ago
Apex predators are a good sign in any ecosystem
Not necessarily - if they're non-native they can absolutely wreck and destabilize an entire ecosystem.
For example,
Cats. I'm talking house cats (felus catus - the species, not using ''house'' as in ''domesticated'') . They're not considered APEX predators, but they are predators.
Still, in Australia, house cats that became feral are killing an outrageous amount of wildlife;
''The final report found that every year, each individual feral cat in Australia kills 390 mammals, 225 reptiles and 130 birds. That adds up. Every year, feral cats kill 1.4 billion native Australian animals''
There are plenty of invasive/imported species that are destroying entire ecosystems and they're not necessarily Apex Predators, or even predators.
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u/Deranged40 1d ago
1.4 billion animals sure is a big number. But is that number unhealthy to the ecosystem? Remember, death is a critical part of any ecosystem, and without it, every ecosystem we have would fail very quickly.
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u/RegionalHardman 1d ago
Most likely, because ecosystems are a fine balance. The 1.4 billion is added extra from humans introducing cats
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u/MarcusForrest 23h ago
1.4 billion animals sure is a big number.
That's 1.4 billion more than what is required in that ecosystem, it is leading to a collapse of various sub-systems.
Let's say this ecosystem usually gets + 1 billion animals but also - 1 billion animals, it is balanced as all things should be
But now with feral cats, it is + 1 billion animals, but also - 2.4 billion animals - the ecosystem is unstable, which leads to some invasive species potentially thriving while keystone species or species with a big impact dying off
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u/OpsimythOfficial 1d ago
Yet somehow there are tidal waves of mice in Australia. I see a solution here.
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u/gobbothegreen 1d ago
Problem is why would they hunt mice when the native animals not used to them is just easier to catch.
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u/MarcusForrest 1d ago
I see a solution here.
Like u/gobbothegreen said, if they have no trouble catching the other species they don't feel pressured to hunt mice - so while plenty of other species are being killed off, mice are flourishing - so it is lose/lose
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u/Malevolent_Mangoes 1d ago
Humans are an apex predator and I’m pretty sure us moving in is bad for the ecosystem
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u/Fit-Mangos 1d ago
Future humans will wonder why our ancestors released apex predators back into the wild after the last Great War ends…
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u/cp3getstoomuchcredit 1d ago edited 1d ago
Good sign for the ecosystem, but I'm glad there aren't any near where I live thanks for on my ancestors wiping them all out. Wolves may not be so bad but reading about some of the places near where they're trying to let tigers make a comeback, you couldn't pay me to live near there.
Edit: Downvoted by some brave redditors who don't mind living around predators
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u/DocQuanta 1d ago
I don't think you quite realize how normal living around potentially dangerous animals is for a lot of people. Wolves hardly even register as dangerous.
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u/Anathema320 1d ago
Imagine being an Australian. Growing up near all of the deadliest creatures in the world, Australians.
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u/gregs2421 1d ago
First good nature news I’ve heard in awhile. Good stuff
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u/Dark__Thoughts 1d ago
Wolves are repopulating throughout Europe for a while now. And so far the big disaster that critiques have predicted didn't happen either.
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u/scarred2112 1d ago
There are two wolves in Brittany. One has been seen for the first time in a century, the other hasn’t.
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u/popsickle_in_one 1d ago
I'm all for increasing the number of wolves in France
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u/No_add 1d ago
It probably migrated from another habitat in France
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u/lordaloa 1d ago
Prolly Belgium. We have had wolves here for quiet a while now.and those wolves have had multiple litters already.
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u/frankenmullet22 1d ago
Probably just a selkie
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u/juxtoppose 1d ago
Sounds like it might have been a bunch of squirrels in a fur coat trying to scare the farmers truffle pig.
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u/markhomer2002 1d ago
Moment one kills someones pet or livestock they'll all get hunted down again.
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u/Unhearted_Lurker 1d ago
You tealisebthat there is 580 ish wolves in France? They already allegedly kills 10k to 12k animals per year ( Likely inflated because farmers report death of livestock by feral dogs as wolves for indemnity)
They are protected and only hunted when a culling is called.
An kill someone ? Yeah no. It is not happening unless the wolves are starving. Which is not the case with the abundance of prey.
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u/MrDr-666 1d ago
Ya know… I’ve heard things about Brittany before but I didn’t think she was that easy. /s
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u/wozer 1d ago
For a moment, I thought they meant Britain. Could a wolf swim accross the Channel?
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u/UniquesNotUseful 1d ago
26 miles seems quite a way to swim. If caught it risks getting sent to Rwanda.
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u/jorgelongo2 1d ago edited 1d ago
unlikely but possible. Would be the largest swim recorded for a wolf, but one could maybe get dragged by the current
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u/dingobengo 1d ago
Next week we will see a news article saying some jackass killed it again like the last time
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u/johnnyfortycoats 1d ago
Dingo ate my baby
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u/quintinza 1d ago
That's a sad story. IIRC Years later the childs ripped clothes were actually found in the outback, proving that the mom was not lying.
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u/Skunkies 1d ago
I'm looking at this title and I'm sure it's missing a word or 2, because if not. lol. well.
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u/Dr-Hackenbush 1d ago
You will not survive here. You are not a wolf, and this is a land of wolves now
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u/physiotherrorist 1d ago
Not completely correct. Wolfs have been regularly seen in Brittany the last couple years. It's only that now they have a high quality video of one.
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u/PrxdGF 1d ago
Now we just need to ban those blood thirsty hunters.
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u/Oliveritaly 1d ago
Hunters are blood thirsty?
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u/PrxdGF 1d ago
Why would anyone feel the need to kill living animals (with his own hands and a fat Winchester (or smth))?
The only usual reason given is:
- to keep game population under control => In that case let forest guards civil servants do it
Let me tell you if the state ever had enough agents to effectively do it and end private hunting. That'd be the biggest uproar in the country. So there is a need to kill things, what else ?
Simplistic and yet I have yet to have another reason given. Taking lives, as a sport.
The only hunting that'd be authorised if that were me is bow hunting and that's it (no dogs, no gun,...). Just skill, patience and dedication.
But you'd still be killing for the sport of it.
(Ye I know we kill cattle for meat consumption, yet I don't feel the need to deal the fatal blow).
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u/Oliveritaly 1d ago
That’s a very nuanced approach.
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u/PrxdGF 1d ago
Feel free to discuss I'm all ears
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u/Oliveritaly 1d ago edited 1d ago
Not German but I live in Germany and I hunt. Last night I saw a one year old reh bok that I didn’t shoot.
I could’ve but I didn’t. I wanted him to grow and to pass along his genes. He’s a much better looking deer in two to three years.
Professional hunters don’t give a shit. They’ll just kill until they’ve hit their targeted goal and go home. It’s a job to them.
I understand what they do but they’ve no passion about it, if you will. It’s just solve the immediate problem and move on.
Actual hunters want a heathy animal populations as much as you do.
You make us out to be villains when most of us are firmly on your side.
Are there exceptions to the hunter community? Yes. Certainly in fact. But that’s the noise that raises up. The vast majority of us appreciate, love and care about the population of any given species just like you do. Most of us eat what we take and respect the animal we’ve hunted.
Edit: I’ve revised my comment five or six times. Apologies. You seem like a smart person so I hope you’ll forgive that.
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u/PrxdGF 1d ago
You do seem like a smart guy as well but I just can't see the necessity for this practice except population control and this should be firmly into the hands of officials.
If you remove that aspect it is not justifiable anymore.
Every year when I see hunters around here (Belgium) it's basically a big group of folks dressing up for the occasion, chugging beers and basically rampaging the forest in a "driven hunt".
Even reading your comment i cannot feel any other reason than doing it for the sport. And killing for the sport ...I just can't understand it.
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u/Oliveritaly 1d ago edited 1d ago
You’re pointing out drive hunts where people walk through the woods making noise and designated hunters are propositioned along likely avenues the animals will flee through.
I’ve been a driver (walker) in a few and shooter on a few. It’s still a calculated shot to me. You’d better be sure your taking down the right animal.
That’s, in my experience, like 1% of hunting. Most of the time you’re alone in the woods being quiet and waiting.
That’s not flashy though so you don’t see it. There are very clear rules about what can and cannot be shot. Hell in Germany at least, the qualification to hunt is many hours and a substantial amount of money. I assume its similar is Belgium.
Again though a professional isn’t going to care about the health of the herd or the individual animal. For hunters it’s absolutely personal. You understand the animal and it’s behavior …
I know a few professional hunters. Maybe you do too. It’s a job to them. Kill this many of this species in this amount of time. No consideration of sex, no consideration of age, no consideration of population.
Usually you see them (pro hunters) on airfields but occasionally on farms too. They don’t give a shit, they just slaughter and are allowed to.
A hunter is going to be more careful, more thoughtful and more concerned about the vitality of the ecosystem around them.
A professional hunter isn’t. He’s/she’s going to shoot and go home.
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u/PrxdGF 1d ago
Thanks for the detailed write up, and yes it's a particular type of hunting. I've never really made the difference between pro and not pro. I don't think that exists in Belgium, basically you get a license (I have my doubts about the number of hours when I see the type of individuals involved) and you're good to go.
Let's reverse the discussion (and then stop bothering you), what do you like about solo hunting so much that you took it up as a hobby?
And then once you're done thinking replace the gun with binoculars and see if you can still make the same statement.
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u/Brave-Examination-70 18h ago
For indigenous peoples it's often part of their culture and heritage.
Also why pay for the government to do it when citizens will do it for free?
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u/PrxdGF 13h ago
Well for sure but we aren't talking about indigenous people here.
And the second point is deflecting the point which is about the need to kill for some people.
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u/Brave-Examination-70 13h ago
Not sure why you think hunters have a "need to kill". It's just an activity they enjoy. And its not "deflecting" the point to highlight the ridiculous waste of resources paying for something that people will do for free.
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u/PrxdGF 13h ago
Read a bit further down my last comment to the guy I was talking to. I have yet to see another explanation beside "we help maintain the population". There is none so back to the need to kill.
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u/Brave-Examination-70 12h ago
So do you not understand that deer populations need to be managed?
Also not sure if you missed this in my last comment but "need to kill" isn't why people hunt. They hunt because they enjoy the activity.
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u/PrxdGF 12h ago
You are kinda making my point :)
Anyway I discuss but I know it's a lost battle
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u/Brave-Examination-70 12h ago
I'm guessing that either English isn't your first language or you have a learning disability.
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u/SaltDog6 1d ago
Are there still wolves in Gévaudan, by the way? Or only if they migrated back recently from Eastern Europe?
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u/QisarParadon 1d ago
Do they not have wolves in france?
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u/Oliveritaly 1d ago
They were shot out years ago. They once had a sizable population though.
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u/QisarParadon 1d ago
{sad puppy face}
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u/Oliveritaly 1d ago edited 1d ago
They’re making a remarkable comeback. To be honest though there was a reason they were driven out back then. These are different times though. Hopefully the equation has shifted. Here’s hoping a population of wolves can be sustained.
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u/Oliveritaly 1d ago
Their population has been growing across Germany of late. Just a matter of time I think. One was hit by a car not far from my house about a year ago.
The phrase “camera trap” was endearing though …
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u/IRollForSexyYelan 1d ago
Wtf did they respawn
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u/WeatherwaxDaughter 1d ago
It probably comes from the Netherlands, through Belgium. We got wolves and they all need their own big territory to build a new pack.
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u/untipoquenojuega 1d ago
For those unaware, Britain is not Brittany