French 'ranchers' kidnap park official to protest wolf attacks in Alps

Around 50 angry farmers have kidnapped the chief of a national park in the Alps, demanding he take action against repeated wolf attacks on their livestock. Farmers in France have grown exasperated in recent years after seeing their sheep repeatedly slaughtered by the rising wolf population in certain parts of the country. While the government has authorised for wolves to be killed in certain areas where attacks have taken place, farmers have grown frustrated that not enough is being done. On Tuesday evening a group of around 50 farmers took the extreme step of kidnapping the president of the National Park of Vanoise in the Alps along with the park’s director. They made the move to hold Guy Chaumereuil and Emmanuel Michau hostage against their will following a pubic meeting on the park's new charter. According to farmers there have been 130 deadly attacks against livestock this summer compared to 105 last year...more