Hiker stumbles across pack of seven wolves at Alpine ski resort
‘Unprecedented’ video captures wolves roaming on slopes
More than a dozen packs are estimated to roam the Alpes-Maritimes department
A hiker’s video has gone viral after he encountered a pack of wolves on the ski slopes of one of France’s iconic alpine resorts.
The video of the wolves at the Isola 2000 resort (Alpes-Maritimes) shows the pack walking along one of the ski slopes.
“It's very, very rare. I'd never seen one before. I think it's unprecedented here,” the hiker said to local media Nice Matin.
“A truly wonderful encounter, it was very moving. I was so happy. I know that people who have lived here for 50 years have never experienced anything like this.”
You can see the video below.
More than a dozen wolf packs in Alpes-Maritimes
Wolf packs are known to roam in the Mercantour national park where Isola 2000 is located, however encounters are rare as packs usually avoid areas frequented by humans.
In 2023, France’s Office of Biodiversity (OFB) estimated that around 15 wolf packs live in the Alpes Maritimes department.
The video was taken early morning on December 7 (Sunday), the second day the resort was open for the winter season, meaning the area was still mostly untouched by humans.
A recent report declared the existence of a black-fur wolf pack – the first of its kind in France – in the neighbouring Var department
