Recent wolf attack sparks urgent meeting

Elected officials, agricultural unions, and farmers gathered on October 21 in the Creuse department to discuss the recent wolf attack in Féniers, which killed seven sheep and injured twenty. The meeting, originally planned, became more pressing due to the incident, which occurred during the night of October 15 to 16 at a farm owned by the mayor of Féniers.

Rising number of attacks in the region

According to the prefecture, there have been ten wolf attacks in the Creuse since the start of 2026, resulting in 43 animals killed and 13 injured, excluding the most recent attack. Since 2021, the department has recorded 54 attacks and 262 animals preyed upon, with 172 killed and 90 injured. Compensation payments by the state have reached 58,275.65 € during this period.

Farmers demand faster solutions

Didier Duboclard, president of the Departmental Ovine Federation, stressed the need for quick solutions, noting that the situation has not improved despite ongoing efforts. The new attack in Féniers reignited a sense of helplessness among farmers, who question how much longer they must endure without effective answers.

Challenges with existing protective measures

Farmers affected by the latest attack described the difficulty of maintaining protective measures, noting that while fields are often already fenced, reinstalling all the equipment would be a major project without guaranteeing total protection. They criticize the gap between recommended measures and the practical constraints of the terrain.

Struggling with time and resources

Farmers are struggling with how to further strengthen protections when fences are already in place, how to dedicate more time to their maintenance without neglecting other tasks on the farm, and how to ensure the safety of the livestock against a predator capable of bypassing the installed devices. They expressed their distress, saying they wake up to find their sheep scattered everywhere and do not understand their situation.

State-funded protective measures

The prefecture recalls that protective measures can include fixed fences with electric wires, mobile nets, guard dogs, and shepherds. These are funded at 80% by the state, with an investment of 200,000 € in 2026. However, farmers argue that these aids do not solve everything, as they do not compensate for the time spent installing and maintaining the equipment or the additional workload.

Farmers seek more than just financial aid

Duboclard admitted that a farm cannot be protected 100%, but he rejects the idea that the response to predation should rely mainly on farmers' ability to adapt. Farmers argue that it is no longer enough to list the available equipment and recall the financial aids. They expect measures capable of responding concretely to predation and preserving their working conditions.

Farming's future in question

In Féniers, the question goes far beyond the framework of a single farm. Farmers question their ability to sustainably maintain their activity in the face of the presence of the wolf. They argue that farming is essential to the life of these rural territories, but they feel they have to bear alone the consequences of the predator's presence.

The emotional toll on farmers

Compensating for the animals killed does not eliminate the lost working hours, the care needed for the survivors, or the psychological consequences of the attacks. Farmers describe their daily life as turned infernal. Field visits by administrative representatives allowed them to see the constraints, difficulties, and considerable time dedicated to protective devices whose effectiveness remains contested on the ground.

The burden of daily protection

Behind the recommended measures, there is a reality that meetings are not enough to convey. A net measures 50 meters: at least five or six are needed according to the size of the enclosure. These must then be transported, unrolled, installed, stretched, and repeated every evening. The next day, it is necessary to retrace the path in the opposite direction, dismantle the installations, and fold everything back, sometimes in difficult or even inaccessible parcels.

Farmers' deep frustration

Farmers emphasize that one must come and live it to realize the burden. They question how to face this additional burden night after night while ensuring the rest of the work on the farm. They also wonder how far one can multiply the fences and constraints without exhausting the farmers. Behind these questions, a deep frustration is evident: "How do we do it? What do we do? Do we give up?"

Seeking concrete answers

It remains to be seen what concrete follow-up will be given to these exchanges. In Féniers, the farmers no longer only want their difficulties to be heard: they want answers. On the Millevaches plateau, the challenge is now to protect the herds, but also those who make farming possible.