A nighttime attack attributed to a wolf struck a sheep farm in Haute-Marne, resulting in the deaths of six lambs and the euthanasia of twenty others that were seriously injured. The incident occurred in a field in Bassoncourt, where nearly 140 animals were grazing. The French Office for Biodiversity visited the site to conduct an investigation and collect samples.
The pressure had become unbearable for the operators.
For the 30-year-old farmer in question, this would be the fifteenth attack in a year. Exhausted by these repeated losses, he announced his intention to end his business, which he started in 2019. The sector had already suffered a tragedy in the same area at the end of the year, when another herd suffered heavy losses.
Haute-Marne is experiencing a dramatic increase in predation, with more than 190 attacks recorded in 2025, compared to around twenty the previous year. This situation is fueling strong agricultural mobilization and reigniting the debate on wolf population control, while the government promises legislative adjustments and a relaxation of shooting regulations, which local unions still consider insufficient.
