French Campaigners Demand Ban on Alpine Marmot Hunting

Animal rights advocates in France are launching petitions and demonstrations to urge the national government to prohibit the hunting of Alpine marmots, arguing that the animals are being shot purely for sport.

The annual open season for the mountain-dwelling rodents begins in September and lasts for up to one month, taking place shortly before the animals enter a hibernation period that lasts five to six months. Every year, an average of 1,000 marmots are killed across France under local regulations that set individual quotas and dates.

The campaign for a nationwide ban is organized by the Association for Justice for Savoie Animals, a regional group based in the French Alps. Pauline di Nicolantonio, the president of the organisation, stated that “shooting them is simply recreational” and argued that public sentiment strongly favors protecting the iconic rodent. Campaigners are calling for France to adopt a complete legal prohibition similar to the ban introduced by neighboring Italy in 1992.

The push to end the hunt comes amid conflicting claims regarding the stability of marmot populations. Researchers studying the species in the Grande Sassière alpine nature reserve report that climate change is inflicting severe stress on the animals. Christophe Bonenfant, a scientist at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research at the University of Lyon, along with his colleague Rébecca Garcia, observed that changing environmental conditions are disrupting the rodents’ social structures. According to Bonenfant, these disturbances cause territorial fights to become increasingly violent and lead female marmots to produce fewer offspring, resulting in a gradual population decline.

In contrast, hunting representatives and agricultural groups defend the practice. Some French farmers claim that marmots are a nuisance because their burrowing creates holes in fields that damage farm equipment. The National Hunters Federation maintains that the hunt is “strictly supervised and regulated” and contends that marmot populations are actually growing. The federation stated that there is no justification for a ban, as the species is not threatened or slated for official protection.

While marmots are not legally classified as endangered, researchers emphasize their key ecological role. As herbivores that swell up to eight kilograms before winter, they serve as a primary food source for mountain predators such as eagles, foxes, and badgers, while their extensive burrows assist in soil aeration.

Background

Alpine marmots are one of 15 marmot species found across mountainous regions of North America and Europe. Traditionally hunted for their fur, fat, and meat, marmots are now legally protected in several European nations, including Germany and Italy. However, limited hunting remains legal in France, Switzerland, Austria, and parts of Canada and the United States. In France, the rodent holds a prominent place in regional culture and tourism across the Alps, despite ongoing debate between agricultural interests, sports hunters, and conservationists over its legal status.