A French court convened on Monday to rule on the fate of a wild boar adopted by a horse-breeder in 2023. The sow, known as "Rillette", has become a cause célèbre in France and abroad after officials declared her a health and safety risk and threatened to put her down.
Elodie Cappe with "Rillette", a wild boar she rescued as a piglet in 2023.
AFP - FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI
By: Alison Hird
RFI
Wild boars are generally viewed as pests in France – farmers say they damage crops, health officials argue they spread disease. And they can also cause fatal car accidents by crossing the road at inopportune moments.
They're hunted for their meat, which most often finds its way into sausages or a kind of spread known as "rillettes".
But one wild boar has captured the hearts of animal lovers both in France and abroad after local authorities in the Aube region of eastern France threatened to put her down.
Horse-breeder Elodie Cappé first spied the animal as a lone piglet rummaging around the bins among rotting vegetables in April 2023. The sow, named "Rillette" grew up alongside Cappé on her farm near Chaource.
"She's an integral part of the family," Cappé told Le Figaro.
French authorities, however, have taken a dim view of the situation.
They argue that keeping non-domesticated animals is unlawful and that the risk of spreading disease is a threat to public safety.
Rillette will be put down unless a "suitable place" can be found for her.
France considers extending the boar hunting season
Wild boars are generally viewed as pests in France – farmers say they damage crops, health officials argue they spread disease. And they can also cause fatal car accidents by crossing the road at inopportune moments.
They're hunted for their meat, which most often finds its way into sausages or a kind of spread known as "rillettes".
But one wild boar has captured the hearts of animal lovers both in France and abroad after local authorities in the Aube region of eastern France threatened to put her down.
Horse-breeder Elodie Cappé first spied the animal as a lone piglet rummaging around the bins among rotting vegetables in April 2023. The sow, named "Rillette" grew up alongside Cappé on her farm near Chaource.
"She's an integral part of the family," Cappé told Le Figaro.
French authorities, however, have taken a dim view of the situation.
They argue that keeping non-domesticated animals is unlawful and that the risk of spreading disease is a threat to public safety.
Rillette will be put down unless a "suitable place" can be found for her.
France considers extending the boar hunting season
Bardot to the rescue
What could have remained a local affair turned global after actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot threw her weight behind a petition to save the sow.
Launched in early December, the petition has garnered more than 187,000 signatures.
“Help! I demand that Rillette be spared. What monsters are asking for her euthanasia?...This little animal has the right to live, it’s even a duty, she’s innocent,” Bardot raged in a hand-written note published online.
"Euthanasia is a crime! We are governed by murderers!"
There've been protests, even a song in Rillette's honour.
On Sunday some 500 people gathered in Chaource for a silent march to prevent public health officials getting their way.
Cappé says she's received "letters of support" from fond followers not just in France but from many different countries.
French pensioner ready to die to stop pet wild boar being seized
Passing the buck
When Cappé found the piglet, she says she tried to hand her over to animal sanctuaries and parks but they refused to take her. "They passed the buck," she told France 3 public television.
The horse breeder built an enclosure on her farm to comply with regulations, but that didn't satisfy the authorities.
"The legislation is justified by the health risks entailed in keeping such animals... there is a high risk of diseases spreading to farms or domestic animals," the local prosecutor said, citing swine fever and bovine tuberculosis.
BULLSHIT 💩 THESE ARE HERD DISEASES NOT THAT OF A SINGLE BOAR.
In late December, Cappé was ordered to hand the animal over to a company that trains animals to appear on film and television.
She refused, saying it was "shameful" to want to send Rillette there for financial gain.
The courts are due to render their decision this week. Cappé risks three years in prison and a €150,000 fine. Rillette risks far more.
In late December, Cappé was ordered to hand the animal over to a company that trains animals to appear on film and television.
She refused, saying it was "shameful" to want to send Rillette there for financial gain.
The courts are due to render their decision this week. Cappé risks three years in prison and a €150,000 fine. Rillette risks far more.
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