The Normandy region, the first region to no longer subsidize shows with wild animals

The Normandy region will no longer subsidize shows with wild animals, starting this year, France Bleu Normandie reported on Monday March 25. It thus anticipates the law on animal abuse which will be effective in 2028. Elected officials in the region have decided that the measure will apply this year to demonstrations of birds of prey carried out during medieval meetings.

For Nathalie Porte, the vice-president in charge of tourism and attractiveness of the region, it is not a question of ceasing funding due to animal abuse, but of not “putting public money into an event for which there is no need to use wild animals”.

The medieval ones of Falaise and Pontorson concerned in particular

The decision of the Normandy region applies in particular to the medieval events of Falaise or the Pontorsonnades of Pontorson in the Manche where demonstrations of birds of prey were organized in the summer of 2023. In Bayeux, in Calvados, these falconry demonstrations were stopped “since 2017”, according to the deputy in charge of culture in Bayeux David Lemaresquier. According to him, it is a question of renewing the program, because there is “tons and tons of ways to create a live show”.

The falconer Nicolas Ferrari, based in Morbihan, was to present eight birds of prey this summer at the Harcourt festival and in Rouen. He denounces “a dogmatic ideology”. “We are accused of things that are not accurate” starting with the qualification of wild animals. “These are all animals bred and born in captivity and who we do not intend to introduce to the wild.” In 2023, 22% of medieval festivals in Normandy included falconry shows.