Читать книгу Walking in the Dordogne. 35 walking routes in the Dordogne - Sarlat, Bergerac, Lalinde and Souillac онлайн

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Wildlife

The Dordogne has a history of hunting dating back to medieval times, when knights galloped out of their castles to shoot deer and wild boar, which were plentiful in the vast forests. Over the centuries the wildlife was decimated, but fortunately the recent ecology movement has had a positive result. Although hunting continues, and you will frequently come across tall hunting platforms in the woods for spotting game, there is now a defined hunting season, for both animals and birds.

A hunting platform in the woods near Monestier (Walk 4)

Wild boar still live in the woods, and red and roe deer in more open areas. The red squirrel, so rare in England, is frequently seen here, and you may be lucky enough to glimpse an elusive civet cat, pine or stone martin. Foxes, badgers, rabbits, voles, weasels and stoats are more common, and one rodent that is slowly gaining ground in the lakes and rivers is the coypu, a big furry creature with a long tail, rather like a beaver, originally introduced from South America. Unfortunately, their increasing numbers are destroying the riverbanks, the natural habitat of otters and water voles, and so measures are now being taken to eliminate them.