A wolf found dead in La Grande-Motte, hit by a car on the expressway leading to Montpellier

Le loup a été tué à La Grande Motte. police municipale de La Grande Motte

The remains of a wolf were found on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, in the morning, in La Grande-Motte. The animal was reportedly hit by a vehicle traveling on the D62 departmental road between the seaside resort and Montpellier.

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Head of the forest hunting unit at the Departmental Directorate of Territories and the Sea, Luis de Sousa confirms the information: “Indeed, a wolf was hit by a vehicle in La Grande-Motte, on the dual carriageway. It was found on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 in the morning. An analysis will be carried out which should confirm that it is indeed a wolf, but visually, there is no doubt…”

The autopsy provides initial results

As for whether the animal had already been spotted, “it is quite unlikely that this individual is already known in the Hérault department. It seems quite unlikely that a wolf present on the Larzac or the Caroux would have come down to La Grande-Motte. The most likely thing, if it is already known, is that it comes from the Alps or Provence. But only genetic analyses will possibly be able to determine this”, specifies the DDTM specialist.

A coypu meal

This Wednesday, the OFB, French Biodiversity Office, services have already carried out the autopsy of the animal. Before the fatal collision, “this animal, an adult male, was in good health. He had had a good meal of a coypu and had consumed a large quantity!” explains Pascal Arnaud. The OFB technician explains that this discovery “proves that the wolf, when dispersed, goes everywhere. It makes its way, moves, searches over hundreds of kilometers and consumes what it finds”. And the season is conducive to the dispersion of Canis lupus. “Since the fall, wolves have been dispersing, mainly from the Alpine Arc”.

Last Thursday, a similar accident occurred between Cassis and Marseille, on the Calanques road.