A Midnight Safari

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We’ve just spent the evening with the hunting association of Dun, a village near here. No hunting pink in sight. French hunters have an informal motto: ‘If it moves, you could eat it’, and we weren’t very sure about being associated with them. But it wasn’t quite like that. This group demonstrated real interest in and knowledge of the ecology of the area, and one of their concerns is to maintain the natural balance of fauna. So at regular times each year they go out throughout the night on a specially selected route and do a census of the creatures they see. Over time, they can observe trends and patterns in the animal population. On this occasion, they invited us, the public to join in.

Malcolm and I showed up at 8.30 p.m. in suitable gear to spend the night-time hours out in darkened woodland: boots, tough trousers and a bar of chocolate, and were a bit surprised to see everyone else in strappy sandals, jolly little T shirts, and shorts. They were in the know. We were to travel by bus.

Not before we’d had a PowerPoint presentation on the animal and bird life of the Ariège. We now know the French for capercaillie, stag, griffon vulture, widgeon and a host of other creatures - theoretically anyway.

At 9.30, darkness begins to fall and we are herded onto a rather posh school bus, and set off at a speed that never exceeds 10 miles an hour….. We’re in a convoy of two. Ahead of us is a smart landrover, with a reporter and camerawoman from Ariège News (the local answer to English TV’s Calendar), a driver, and a man with a powerful searchlight sitting precariously on the side window of the car. Our guide has a searchlight too. The two of them sweep the fields and woodland with beams of light, and we all peer eagerly out of the windows. Nothing happens. On we go, as puzzled drivers behind get caught up in the convoy with no means of overtaking on such narrow roads.

A hare! We all crane over excitedly as the poor creature leaps and bounds away to get out of the glare of the light. Another hare! Another! It’s not long before we become blasé. A rabbit! We’re not allowed to think this is rather dull. They’re pretty rare in this part of France.

By now it really is black outside, and the action hots up. A fox rushes across a ploughed field, a roe deer canters away from the light, and most excitingly, a stag with splendid antlers bounds up the hillside. Later still, we see 3 wild boar contentedly digging up the contents of someone’s carefully tended field.

Part way through all this, we stop for a comfort break. The Ariège Life reporter looks for someone to interview. Nearly everyone’s from Dun itself, and she wants someone who’s come from a bit further afield. The Mayor’s wife remembers ‘Where’s that couple from Laroque d’Olmes? Better still, they’re actually from England!’ So Malcolm is pushed forward and acquits himself well, saying nice things about the whole experience. If it gets itself on the net, as it may well do, you’ll be able to see it for yourself.

By midnight, the hunters are pretty clear that some of the exciting animals they’ve all but promised us aren’t going to pop their heads out of the undergrowth, and decide to call it a night. We aren’t disappointed. It has been exciting, and we can even get to bed before dawn. Would we like to go again next year? they wonder as they wish us ‘Goodnight’. You bet!

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