Читать книгу Walking in the Cevennes. 31 walks and the Tour of Mont Lozere онлайн

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Wolves have, as yet, not been reintroduced, probably because of the flocks of sheep, but in the 17th century a certain wolf became a legend. The Beast of Gévaudan, as it was called, took a liking for the tender flesh of young girls and killed over 50 people, striking terror to the whole region before being shot by a local hunter.

Weathervane in Pompidou village(Walk 28)

On the windswept Causses I have seen hares, weasels, stoats and small deer, though there seems precious little for them to eat and very little cover. There is a wide variety of bird life; you can hear the larks and the cries of the pipits and see the hawks hovering overhead. On the cliffs surrounding the gorges are birds of prey such as buzzards, eagles and the bald-headed vultures, the latter recently introduced – it is a moving experience to watch these enormous birds with a tremendous wingspan floating, seemingly effortlessly, round and round in the thermal currents like a crowd of paragliders! There are also swifts, swallows and crows; by the river banks are kingfishers, dippers, wagtail and inoffensive grass snakes which live off the fish.