a great transhumance… 10 kilometers from Toulouse
They are expected like the riders of the Tour de France. Nearly 520 sheep from the Pyrenees marched this Sunday about ten kilometers from Toulouse. At the edge of the road, hundreds of inhabitants got up early to observe the passage of the caravan set up by the departmental council of Haute-Garonne. “In our urban areas, we are not used to seeing these animals in the street”, emphasizes Huguette. “I got up early with my grandson to show him.”
All were attended to a real transhumance over 17 kilometers from Villeneuve-lès-Bouloc to the park of the Château de Launaguet but contrary to their usual route, on the heights of the Pyrenees, this time in the heart of residential areas.
At the head of the herd, we find Moses, the shepherd with his stick and his three dogs. “You have to remain vigilant because there can be dangers on the 17 kilometer route. If a gate is not closed properly and all the sheep come in, it can become complicated.”
Back to nature and eco-grazing
Fabien, another shepherd, is designated at the back of the caravan. Behind him, dozens of inhabitants watch the rapid march of the sheep. “People live in the city, but they miss getting close to nature a bit, going back to simple things.”
If the children are delighted to be able to approach the animals so closely, Fabien reminds us that “this type of operation is not only for the photo”. “We shepherds, we see all this grass growing along the roads, these are areas with great potential. There are many places to maintain and it avoids having to use products or machines thanks to our sheep. It’s almost the beginning of the ungrowth.”
This operation benefits municipalities and breeders. Activities are offered to children to better discover the profession of shepherd and the grounds can thus be maintained. The landless breeder finds hectares for these animals made available by the municipalities.