French activists demand ban on Alpine marmot hunting

Animal rights groups in France are campaigning for a nationwide ban on the hunting of Alpine marmots. Activists, including Pauline di Nicolantonio of the Association for Savoyard Animal Justice (AJAS), are using protests and petitions to urge the government to implement a ban similar to the one established in Italy in 1992.

While marmots are not currently classified as an endangered species in France, researchers note that their populations are declining due to the climate crisis. Scientists Christophe Bonenfant and Rébecca Garcia from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) have observed that the effects of climate change in the Alps—such as receding glaciers and cracking rock walls—are impacting the animals. These environmental shifts are also affecting social stability and reproductive rates within marmot populations.

Approximately 1,000 marmots are hunted annually in France. Although traditionally hunted for meat, fat, and fur, activists argue the practice is now conducted primarily for sport. Hunting is currently permitted in France, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, and parts of the United States, but is prohibited in Germany and Italy.