“There was panic, the sheep threw themselves at the barriers”: ram attacked in Uchaud, in the Gard, wolf suspected

branches.”>The breeder, Alain Courtois, discovered his ram still alive, but lying covered in blood on branches. – CHRISTIAN JULLIAN

L'enclos situé chemin des Cabanes-de-Borely, début de la garrigue, à Uchaud. – CHRISTIAN JULLIAN

A ram was killed last week in Uchaud, in the Gard. Alain Courtois, 68, a breeder, discovered his ram still alive but badly damaged, lying covered in blood on branches in his closed enclosure. The presence of a wolf in the town of Uchaud is “not ruled out”, the appropriate vocabulary to explain that this is more than just a suspicion.

A ram was killed on the night of Saturday to Sunday last week. “It's a disaster,” exclaimed Alain Courtois, 68, a breeder, upon discovering his ram, still alive but badly damaged, lying covered in blood on branches in his closed enclosure. A savage and violent attack on the animal's throat, very impressive.

The presence of a wolf in the town of Uchaud is “not ruled out”, the appropriate vocabulary to explain that this is more than a simple suspicion.

Expertise and sampling on the attacked animal

He immediately notified the competent authorities, the mayor of the town, Joffrey Léon, the Departmental Directorate of Territory and the Sea (DDTM) of Gard and the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), organizations that are a reference in this area.

Two of the latter's agents immediately went there and carried out all the expert assessments, samples and other autopsies on the attacked animal. They studied the size of the fangs and the depth of the cuts and sent their report to the DDTM.

To date, Friday January 10, the conclusions of the report on the attribution of this attack have not yet been made. They will be the subject of an addendum to this article.

The ram had to be euthanized

Given the serious injuries caused, the ram had to be euthanized. The enclosure, well fenced, is located on Chemin des Cabanes-de-Borrely, at the start of the scrubland, in the commune of Uchaud. There, Alain Courtois locks up his six ewes and his ram of the red western breed, prolific for milk production, which makes it easy to raise multiple lambs. Small flock under the guard of his dog, Thémis, a border collie, who helps the farmer in herding his sheep. Faced with this attack, the farmer brought his flock back home to his second enclosure in Aubord. “There was panic, the ewes threw themselves at the barriers and I couldn't see my ram,” explains Alain Courtois. “There was something that completely freaked them out. Then I found my ram, lying in the branches, still alive, his neck open, there was no more flesh.”

The subject is still sensitive between opponents of the wolf, who are afraid of it, as well as the damage it can cause to herds, and supporters, who advocate animal protection and biodiversity.

At the end of December, two sheep were attacked in Saint-Bauzille-de-Montmel, a village in the Grand Pic Saint-Loup, in Hérault.

Official vocabulary: the presence of the wolf “not ruled out”. Which gives the breeder the right to compensation. “Not ruled out” is just a vocabulary concept, because it can’t be “100% determined”, but it confirms that it’s more than just suspicions. I subscribe to read more