French politician fined €10,000 for offering state official a wolf’s tail as ‘retirement present’

A French court has fined a top local politician in the Alps €10,000 for offering a state official a wolf's tail as a parting gift

Credit: RAYMOND ROIG/ AFP

A top politician in the French Alps was on Friday fined €10,000 (£8,600) for offering a wolf’s tail to the region’s state representative as a retirement present.

Jean-Marie Bernard of the conservative Republicans party described the gift as a "friendly gesture" and a "political act" to express support for beleaguered farmers who say their pastoral livelihood is at risk from the predatory animal.

Wolves have been a protected species since 1993 and their numbers in France have mushroomed in recent years — particularly in the Alps.

Mr Bernard, the president of the Hautes-Alpes departmental council, also gave the same gift to the previous prefect when he left.

He claims that wolves are not an endangered species and do not require protection.

The grisly present was, he said, a way of saying “you may be leaving, but the problem of wolves for farmers in the department has still not been resolved”.

However, the move angered several animal rights groups including the Férus association — which defends the welfare of large predators including wolves, bears and lynx.

It said: “We cannot be anything other than appalled to see this practice from another age in a developed, 21st-century country.”

It cited the environmental code, which states: “The detention, mutilation [or] transport of a protected species, whether living or dead, is illegal.” The maximum penalty for violating the code is three years in jail and a €150,000 fine.

Some French farmers complain the wolf is killing off their pastoral way of life

Credit:  JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK/ AFP

Catherine Bouteron, wolf expert at Alpine nature protection group SAPN, said she was “very happy” with the verdict. “This criminal conviction was very important,” she told AFP.

“This is an act of poaching. An elected official must lead by example regarding this issue and that’s what counted for us.”

Philippe Neuveu, lawyer for Mr Bernard, said he found the verdict “disappointing” and “symbolic”, saying he regretted "the very strong media, environmental and emotional pressure in this case”.

Mr Bernard said: “What interests me is to push forward solutions to improve the fate of farmers regarding wolf attacks."

"I deplore this decision under the pressure of environmental extremist groups who are disconnected from the reality of the land and the issues of professionals of the rural world,” he added.

After re-entering France from Italy in 1992, Canis lupus has fanned out across the country and in 2018 experts said the wolf population had surpassed the 500 “viability” threshold. Today there are thought to be almost 600 individuals in France.

While environmentalists have welcomed their return, their presence is controversial in some parts of the country where farmers say that extra protection measures such as electric fences and Pyrenean mountain dogs have failed to completely halt attacks.