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Carla Bruni's support for brown bears angers Pyrenean farmers
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by Amy Judd | August 29, 2008 at 01:19 pm
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The Pyrenean farmers do not like Carla Bruni much these days.
She wants to preserve the bears living there, but the farmers say she is just trying to get attention and does not understand that the bears destroy their farms and eat their animals.
“It’s annoying to see celebrities sponsoring the bears without understanding the consequences,” Louis Dollo, a former farmer and anti-bear activist, said. “We do not give a hoot about the views of Parisians, civil servants or the wife of the President,” he told The Times.
President Sarkozy, who married Ms Bruni in February, has so far stayed out of the “bear wars”, which pit environmentalists against farmers and local politicians who say the bears kill sheep and threaten their livelihoods.
Ms Bruni, the epitome of the Parisian left-wing upper class, agreed in 2006 to be “godmother” to Hvala, one of five bears brought in from Slovenia to replenish a population that had dwindled to about 15. Hvala gave birth to two cubs, named Bamboo and Pollen, in January last year.
The group against the farmers say there is not much evidence the bears do much damage at all, while farmers even have signs up in their town saying 'go back to Slovenia'. I'm not sure bears can read however.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (21)
at 14:12 on August 29th, 2008
amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:20 on August 29th, 2008
amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:21 on August 29th, 2008
humm....I typed more in my comment above, not sure why it didn't show up. Great sentence to end your story with.
at 18:32 on August 29th, 2008
I'm not sure why the comment didn't show up more either... sorry about that. Glad you like my profound last sentence...
at 20:05 on August 29th, 2008
idk i was pretty much just asked to post this photo and figured what the heck. about it. but in this picture it's me and a friend of mine canoeing at tahoe. absolutly gorgeous there
elyse_lovinglife has contributed a photo to this story.
at 20:41 on August 29th, 2008
This is one of my paintings of a beautiful black bear. The painting depicts a bear on the edge of a forest, watching you as you watch him. They are magnificent creatures that deserve our respect.
Artistatwork has contributed a photo to this story.
at 22:05 on August 29th, 2008
This image was captured in May 2008 in Yellowstone National Park. This 1000 lb male Grizzlie bear was watching me from about 75 yards away. Shortly after ths photo was taken he began walking towards me. I made it to my truck and he approached within about 15bfeet before he lost interest and left. (C) 2008 Jack Teagarden. www.teagardenphotography.com.
Nikon Man Gallery 95993 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 01:26 on August 30th, 2008
taken at the zoo
ChristinaLou has contributed a photo to this story.
at 04:24 on August 30th, 2008
This is one of the many cute juvenile black bears in Yellowstone National Park, USA. It's a majestic site to see such an animal in the wild.
gary.fotu has contributed a photo to this story.
at 05:06 on August 30th, 2008
BelgradePic has contributed a photo to this story.
at 05:41 on August 30th, 2008
amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff. There are lots of wolves too and I watched a recent programme on the BBC where a Laird (although he's bought in to the Scottish countryside rather than being Laird by inheritance) has fenced off a vast tract of the Scottish highlands and is reintroducing Brown Bears, Moose, Wolves and the like. It's got people wondering what happens if there is a breach in the fence?
at 05:47 on August 30th, 2008
It's sad.. sigh. Thanks for the request!
Cubbie has contributed a photo to this story.
at 05:48 on August 30th, 2008
amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 10:28 on August 30th, 2008
I find it incredible to watch the actions of this great creature. I wished I could take a year and live in the wilderness to watch them, and to get to know them. I believe the native americans understand them the best, from what they have told me.
canderelli has contributed a photo to this story.
at 18:29 on August 30th, 2008
This bear didn't seem to care at all that people were taking pictures; I was less than ten feet away. This was taken in Cades Cove, part of the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.
sinsinawa has contributed a photo to this story.
at 21:02 on August 31st, 2008
Most of these photos were taken at Brooks Falls in Alaska - great place to view brown bears.
dwaydavis has contributed a photo to this story.
at 02:44 on September 1st, 2008
a brown bear in Shanghai, wildlife animal park
andreas82 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 16:13 on September 1st, 2008
a brown bear in cabarceno park, spain
liveratum has contributed a photo to this story.
at 05:17 on September 2nd, 2008
Hope you all like my shot , comments very welcome
jesse_botanical has contributed a photo to this story.
at 20:41 on September 2nd, 2008
The San Francisco Zoo had rescued two Grizzly Bears from destruction as they had become too agressive towards humans in the Montana wild. The two cubs were taken in after the mother had been killed but too late to retrain them to avoid humans for their sources of food. Both the bears are now great residents of the San Francisco Zoo and a popular attraction. Makes you wish this could happen for all bears.
Darv
LiquidMoonlight.com
Darvin Atkeson has contributed a photo to this story.
at 07:47 on September 6th, 2008
This is an interesting article about brown bears (Ursus horribilis), but its credibility is totally lost when one looks at the photos, many of which are of black bears (Ursus americanus). Readers who know the difference will figure that if you can't tell the two species apart, you don't know what you're talking/writing about, either. JMHO