Call to ban marmot hunting in France as campaigners say they are ‘killed for fun’

Animal rights activists are organizing demonstrations and petitions to push the French government to prohibit the hunting of Alpine marmots, a species already under pressure from the worsening climate crisis. The hunting season for these hibernating rodents, which are related to squirrels and groundhogs, is set to begin in late summer, just before their winter dormancy. Conservationists argue that the practice threatens already vulnerable populations, raising concerns over long-term survival amid environmental challenges. Supporters say urgent action is needed to protect the species before further decline.

Protests and petitions planned amid growing concerns over impact of climate crisis on numbers of Alpine rodentAnimal rights campaigners are gearing up for protests and petitions aimed at persuading the French government to ban the hunting of Alpine marmots.Open season on the rodents, members of the squirrel and groundhog family, begins in September, a few weeks before they go into a long winter hibernation. Continue reading...