Transhumance with cows
There’s nothing quite like transhumance, following the animals as they leave the farm on their way to the mountain pastures for the summer. And for the farmers Philippe and Jason Lacube, their fellow workers and friends, it is an opportunity to explain farming and to enjoy themselves with the 140 visitors who have come to participate in this ancient tradition.
Tarasconnaises sheep
It is twenty years since bears were first reintroduced into the Pyrenees and yet the question of how to protect sheep is still being debated. Some breeders assert that a shepherd permanently on site with a patou (guard dog) and who brings his sheep together at night will have minimal losses, particularly when compared with natural mortality. This is the authorities’ official line.
Others, notably in Couserans (Ariège), say that cohabitation with bears is not possible especially in areas where the slopes are steep and rocky. The flocks disperse into smaller units (escabots) in search of sustenance. Some shepherds have tried to follow the official recommendations and report difficulties.
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My new book on the Spanish Pyrenees and walking the Senda (GR11)
GR10 : Éditions françaises
Les Pyrénées tout en marchant sur le GR10 de Steve Cracknell
(16cm x 24cm, 319 pages, 30 photos, carte)
Disponible chez Amazon
GR10: English editions:
If you only walk long enough - exploring the Pyrenees
[print and Kindle]
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