Fontainebleau forest authorities deny resumption of hunting

Authorities in France have addressed misconceptions regarding recent gunfire in the Fontainebleau forest. Following fires that destroyed approximately 2,200 hectares in mid-July, the forest remains closed to the public, including hikers, cyclists, and hunters.

While social media reports suggested that hunting had resumed following shots heard on August 6, the Prefecture of Seine-et-Marne and the National Forestry Office denied these claims. The shots were actually part of an exceptional intervention by a lieutenant of the louveterie, acting on behalf of the state, to humanely euthanize two severely injured deer. This operation took place in the Grand Parquet area, a sector outside the damaged state forest and unaffected by the recent fires.

Currently, no decision has been made to reopen hunting in the Fontainebleau massif, and access to the burned areas remains prohibited.