[ad_1]
Twenty-five sheep completed their 12-day transhumance on Wednesday in Paris, after walking, grazing and bleating together in the cities around the capital. Until the 1960s, Paris had a flourishing agricultural culture and the organizers wanted to revive it to show that the presence of sheep in the city was both possible and desirable.
They sampled grbad and weeds in over 30 cities around Paris during their 140 km walk officially known as the Transhumance of Greater Paris. And now, they trot on the sidewalks of some of the most luxurious streets of Paris.
They stop from time to time, in fact, whenever they feel like it, to nibble a block of grbad coming out of the pavement or chew plants climbing at the high barriers protecting high-end residential buildings.
Organized by the metropolis of Greater Paris and the online cultural media "Enlarge Your Paris", this 12-day event is a kind of eco-agriculture festival and cultural festival intended to show that sheep have their place in Europe. city.
The sheep in question were born and raised in the Courneuve near Paris, raised by Urban Shepherds (Urban Shepherds).
Sheep are "very comfortable in the city," says Guillaume, co-founder of the collective. "With regard to serious pastoralism, where you really want what's best for animals, especially in the case of seasonal pastoralism, sheep have a lot more to gain from living in the city than from stay in the country, "he says.
In addition, sheep have always been part of the city, but industrialized production methods and better food preservation have broken the link between city dwellers and animals.
"Until 1960, there were butchers and their flocks; there were cows all around the cities. They were kept for milk because there was no refrigerator to keep it cool. Even in the city, sheep were part of the social fabric. "
People stop, watch and take pictures as the sheep cross pedestrian crossings, guided by a couple of friendly bicycle policemen and several imposing shepherdesses.
Transhumance allows city dwellers "to become much more open, to slow down, to find a rhythm of life more interesting than that offered or imposed by the city," adds Guillaume.
A very sociable animal that makes the most of the man
Sheep, shepherds, walkers and policemen stop in a small municipal park for children in the 16th arrondissement. Children – and adults – come to caress the sheep and ask questions. William is resting.
"You have sheep all over the world and in all cultures, and people have a real relationship with them," says Clothilde, a volunteer shepherd who is delighted with the project.
"The sheep are happy as long as they have enough to eat and they eat all the time.They decide where we are going, the pace, and where they are not. happy, they stop, if they are not happy, you see it. "
The sheep seem very happy. These are sociable creatures and Clothilde says we can learn a lot from them.
"Each of them has his own role in the flock, there is a leader [Charles-Edouard with his distinctive coat-cut]when one is tired, another comes to help. The interaction between them and us is interesting.
"People need to know that it's an animal with a personality, not just meat.So they're not here, we're not there.Our survival depends on their survival."
Next step: sheep in Marseille
Sheep could literally save life if Marie-Anne Corniou's project in Marseille takes off.
Inspired by the Urban Shepherds collective, she retired from her law career two years ago to become a full-time bergère and plans to open a similar center.
One of the driving forces is to contribute to the search for solutions to the major environmental problems of Marseille due to the serious fire risks in the region.
"In the 50s and 60s, there were herds grazing on the hills of Marseille, near the houses," she explains, caressing a sheep. Earth. Garrigue spreads and supplies large quantities of flammable materials, which greatly increases the risk of fire. So reintroducing sheep to Marseille would help to deal with such risks. "
Source link
