Wolf seen in northern France for first time in over a century
Most of country's wild population live in the Alps and South-east
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A wolf has been seen in northern France for the first time in a century, according to the French Biodiversity Office.
The lone animal was spotted by a surveillance camera as it wandered through the village of Londinières, situated near the French coast in the department of Seine-Maritime .
The prefecture said in a statement that experts from the French Biodiversity Office concluded that it was “very probably” a grey wolf, according to The Telegraph.
Although no wolves remained in France after over-hunting in the 1930s, the animals returned to the country thirty years ago - crossing over from Italy.
However, none of them has been sighted so far north since the species re-established itself in the country.
It is thought the lone wolf may be a young male in search of a mate.
Speaking of their movement habits, the Seine-Maritime prefecture said: ''They can cover distances of several hundred kilometres in a few months before settling.
'The maximum distance from the place of birth can exceed 1,500 kilometres (1,350 miles),'
There are roughly 530 wolves in France today, mostly living in the Alps and the south-east of the country, according to the ONCFS hunting and wildlife agency.
Wolves are a protected species under the EU’s Bern Convention, but the increase in their numbers has led to protests from farmers, who ask for a large annual cull of wolves.
Twelve thousand sheep were believed to have been killed by wolves in France in 2017.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments