Lacanau (Gironde), report
With its claws stuck to the bark of the buckthorn, the plover buries its hooked bill under the ruffled feathers. The gentle ripple of the dark waters betrays the presence of some ghostly amphibians. A tractor engine purrs in the distance… Soon accompanied by a guttural roar. The eyes of François Sargos, curator of the site, widen and he whispers with a breath full of emotion: “ There are ! »
On April 11, eight water buffaloes — Bubalus bubalis — were introduced near the pond of Cousseau in the Gironde. Created in 1976, this nature reserve between Bordeaux and the Atlantic Ocean is home to the Talaris Marsh and its 600 hectares of virgin and wet land. Ecosystem confronted by XIXE century to intensive forestry. Every year these defenseless moors eat away at the maritime pine forests. But there is a solution: the reintroduction of cows, buffalo and other large herbivores. By trampling the soil, they limit the endless expansion of the forest and allow rich biodiversity to flourish.
“ Humans have been eliminating all the large herbivores, the true ecological engineers, for millennia », François Sargos lectures.
© Emmanuel Clévenot / Reporter
“ Humans have been eliminating all the large herbivores, the true ecological engineers, for millennialectured by François Sargos. Bison, tarpan, and bison were all hunted. The collapse of biodiversity is not a myth. However, just like a cake recipe, remove one ingredient and the entire ecosystem goes off the rails. »
In 1990, several Landes cows were rescued from the slaughterhouse at the last minute and reintroduced to their ancestral lands. By grazing, they maintain the Talaris swamp mosaic, much to the delight of other inhabitants such as otters or sedges, a small ocher butterfly.
Without herbivores, pines would consume everything
The area was again conquered by nesting birds such as lapwings, curlews or purple herons. Migrants and winter birds, such as the snipe and the common woodcock, stop here now. “ Thousands of whooping cranes nest here every yearenthuses ecologist Cyril Forchelet. Without this intervention of herbivores, this refuge would have already been swallowed up by oaks and pines, and with them all this biodiversity. »
However, another obstacle quickly reared its head. Every year, at dusk in autumn, these endemic cows migrate to the dune forest. Until good weather returns, the forests surrounding the marsh then benefit from thinning to continue colonization. This is where the water buffalo comes into play.
Eight water buffalo from the breeding farm were planted near Cousseau Pond.
© Emmanuel Clévenot / Reporter
Cyril Forchelet pulls a radio from his belt and checks the frequencies. A man’s voice cracks on the other end of the line. It’s time. Ninety people, protected by modest metal barriers, pull out their smartphones, ready to film the performance. When the door opens, the bestiality associated with these monsters that could fill our imaginations really does not match the appearance – almost nonchalantly – of the stars of the time, just arrived from the farms of Morbihan and Finistère.
Domesticated these eight water buffaloes nevertheless follow in the footsteps of their ancestor Babulus murrensis, which disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene.
© Emmanuel Clévenot / Reporter
Their droppings disperse the seeds
These large herbivores, up to 3 m long, 1.7 m at the withers and 450 kg in scale, are nevertheless somewhat thought provoking. Identification tag attached to ears and collar GPS around their necks will give scientists the opportunity to analyze their feeding behavior and movements.
Filling the winter absence of Landes cows, these colossi should restore ecological processes altered by human activity. Willows, birches and other shrubs with a desire to expand will not be able to escape the formidable hooves and greedy paws of water buffalo. By rolling in the mud, cattle create microhabitats for small animals behind them. Their droppings disperse the seeds and provide habitat for coprophagous insects.
Four females, three heifers and one neutered male were released on April 11.
© Emmanuel Clévenot / Reporter
Overflowing with euphoria, François Sargos assures that these new arrivals will restore the ecological processes altered by human activity: “ It will soon be possible to reduce the mechanical work done each September by tractors to maintain the bog. One less print on the counter. » With minimal anthropogenic management, many ecosystem services will be restored, from carbon sequestration to flood prevention.
These eight water buffaloes, who are domesticated, yet walk in the footsteps of their ancestor, Babulus murrensis, disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene, 11,700 years ago. Will they form a wild population one day? ? One thing is for sure, their release is raising some hope in François Sargos: “ Should conservationists be content with stuffing the last specimens of endangered species? ? Are we doomed to contemplate them in the deserted and dusty aisles of the museum? ? »
Willows, birches and other shrubs with a desire to expand will not be able to escape the formidable hooves and greedy paws of water buffalo.
© Emmanuel Clévenot / Reporter
Cattle disappear in the distance in greenish hues, where bitters and false cress Thore swirl with white autan. “ In Italy, many are locked up in stablesexplains the curator. Their milk is used to make mozzarella. Here, at least the buffaloes will be able to dive under the surface all day and only their heads will stick out like hippos. » Next to him, one eye half-closed, the other in the lens, a woman indulges in her fantasy: “ How about we add some bison and elk ? »