Wildlife and Conservation in the French Pyrenees

Fauna & Flora in SW France National Park, Brown Bear & Rare Species

Jul 10, 2009

For over three decades, the Pyrenees National Park has helped to preserve the varied landscapes and biodiversity in the mountains of south west France.

Like its Spanish counterpart across the border, the Pyrenees National Park is a spectacular land of mountains and valleys, lakes, pastures, forests and moors, rich in fauna and flora. Strict protection is enforced in the central zone covering over 45 700 ha but the peripheral area accommodates a number of villages.

The Pyrenees National Park stretches across six valleys including Cauterets known for its waterfalls and Gavarnie for its stunning cliffs. The wildest area is the World Heritage site of Mont Perdu in the eastern section. The park protects a variety of wildlife, including rare species such as the controversial Pyrenean brown bear which remains the focus of conservation efforts.

Feared and hunted almost to extinction, Pyrenean bears can stand two metre tall but are rarely aggressive and mostly vegetarian. Over the past decade or so, conservationists have introduced a small number of Slovenian bears in an attempt to ensure survival. Local farmers continue to voice their opposition but the Pyrenean bear recently found an ally in France’s first lady who publicly expressed her support for the endangered species.

Around 20 bears now live in the forests and France, Spain and Andorra have agreed a joint programme to protect habitats threatened by loggers and forest fires. Collared bears are tracked by rangers to map distribution areas and record numbers.

Wildlife and Rare Species in South West France

Also on the brink of extinction in the past, marmots have made a spectacular come back and are often spotted frolicking on the rocks in small family groups. Efforts to protect the Pyrenean chamois have been equally successful, with numbers now exceeding 5000.

The Pyrenees are home to 75 animal species, including boar, ermine, otters and the high altitude Natterjack toad which needs two seasons to mutate from the tadpole stage.

Birds of prey are a common sight, from bearded and griffon vultures to golden eagles and peregrine falcons. The rare desman lives on river banks and there are capercaille, famous for their flamboyant courting displays, snow partridges and black woodpeckers.

With altitudes ranging from 900 to over 3000 metres, the Pyrenees National Park claims a wide range of flowers and trees. Beech and fir are found on lower slopes, later giving way to mountain pine, rowan and birch, and then dwarf willow. Juniper grows upright in valleys and survives close to the ground at high altitude.

Unique flora includes the Pyrenean iris, blue thistle and ramonda. Wild orchids, blue and yellow gentians, asphodels, narcissi, pink saxifrage and fritillaries are just a few of 160 flower species blooming across the mountains in spring and summer. They attract myriad butterflies, among them the Gavarnie Blue, Apollo and swallowtail.

The copyright of the article Wildlife and Conservation in the French Pyrenees in France Travel is owned by Solange Hando. Permission to republish Wildlife and Conservation in the French Pyrenees in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.