Jean-Louis Christ the mayor of Ribeauvillé is angry. He denounces in a letter first addressed to the local press: “the massacre of animals in the forest”.
According to residents close to the Ribeauvillé forest, hinds have been shot in front of their fawns in recent days, to kill them more easily. The National Office of Forests which manages the national forest is singled out.
The mayor of Ribeauvillé points to the ONF
For Jean-Louis Christ: “We must regulate of course, but not massacre”. According to several reports and testimonies that arrived at the mayor’s office, fawns less than 4 months old were killed by the ONF agent, responsible for regulating, while we are in the middle of the slab period. .
The mayor of Ribeauvillé also criticizes the ONF for its poor management of the forest with only a monoculture of spruce, which leads to an imbalance between fauna and flora.
The ONF applies the hunting plan
The ONF replied to the elected official by specifying that the Office onlyapply the hunting plan, validated by the prefecture.
“We are not the only ones shooting young deer during this period. We want a balance between the deer population and the forest. This situation is necessary for the forests to do well,” answers Rodolphe Pierrat, the assistant to the director of the Grand Est. The office is also at 30% of the realization of this hunting plan. 24 animals have been killed so far and the goal is to kill 77. The ONF specifies that it prefers to hunt in September rather than in winter.
The mayor of Ribeauvillé is ready for an interview with the ONF, but according to him it is necessary that “the massacres stop”. The ONF is also ready for dialogue, with everyone around the table, the hunters too.
Jean-Louis Christ’s words resonated with wildlife defenders. They’re circulating a petition to say “No to the massacre in the forest of Ribeauvillé”.