Flock of Sheep Jump to Their Deaths Trying to Escape a Brown Bear

Flock of Sheep Jump to Their Deaths Trying to Escape a Brown Bear
Shepherd Pierre Deval carrying a lamb as he guides his sheep across Alpine pastures in the Queyras valley of the Hautes-Alpes region of south-eastern France. He guards his flock against predators and infection, and most importantly, ensuring that none are left behind Ed Jones/AFP/GettyImages
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A farmer from Couflens in the south-west region of France lost a flock of more than 200 sheep after they tried to escape a brown bear.

It appears that the bulk of the flock fell off a cliff on the French-Spanish border in the Pyrenees Mountains while trying to escape. According to the Guardian, 169 sheep were found on July 17 at the bottom of the cliff.

Losing sheep to large predators in the region is not uncommon. Wolves are also a cause of livestock loss for farmers, in addition to bad weather and the rugged terrain.

Native Pyrenees brown bears almost reached extinction in the early 1990s. It was then that the French Government decided to intervene with support from the World Wildlife Fund project run by the European Union.

The Government reintroduced three bears chosen from Slovenian populations from 1995 to 1996, according to the Smithsonian. More bears have been introduced since then, and with some success. The Connexion reported sightings of 39 bears in the Pyrenees in 2016. Ten of these were new cubs. However, experts have previously told Global Talent News that a minimum of 80-100 bears are needed before the bears can become a self-sustaining population.

French and Slovenian veterinarians carry a captured Slovenian bear for transport on 24 April 2006 (STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images)
French and Slovenian veterinarians carry a captured Slovenian bear for transport on 24 April 2006 STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images