An operation to raise public awareness took place on September 26th in the Aigoual sector, involving 17 agents from several organizations: the National Forestry Office (ONF), the Departmental Federation of Hunters of Gard, the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), the Cévennes National Park, and the Trèves gendarmerie brigade. The objective was to preserve the tranquility of deer during their rutting period.
At dusk, with temperatures still mild for the season, agents positioned themselves in the valleys of the Dourbies and Bonheur, as well as on the Lingas plain, for surveillance and control missions. This scorching summer has left the plain depleted, with green grass only remaining in hollows or protected peat bogs. It is in these areas that many visitors hope to witness the spectacle of the deer's rut, a popular attraction in early autumn.
The deer's rut attracts an increasing number of observers, leading to consequences for the animals' tranquility and user safety. Enthusiasts approach the rutting animals inconsiderately, positioning themselves on the plain or on hilltops, while the circulation of 4x4 vehicles on tracks, sometimes prohibited, also disturbs the behavior of the deer.
Once again this year, the animals are rutting under the cover of vegetation, abandoning the heavily frequented plain. Groups of visitors position themselves visibly in the middle of the large open area of Lingas or at its edge, while 4x4s circulate on the track to the Col des Portes. Agents intervene to raise awareness among these users, and information panels warn of the dangers and disturbances caused by human presence in rutting areas.
The observations made are clear: the animals only come out onto the plain well after nightfall, once most visitors have left. They then resume their usual behavior: males rutting, territorial fights, and chases. Preserving the tranquility of these areas significantly improves the quality of deer reproduction. During the evening, about forty people were encountered, and one driver was fined for driving on a prohibited track.
