As I mentioned in the Wildlife Update post, most of the interesting wildlife we see – and actually, now we think of it, 100% of the mammals – is/are dead*.
So here are some observations.
From early on until we entered France we saw at least 3 (dead – assume everything in this post is dead) hedgehogs every day. In fact, the number of hedgehogs was approximately the same as the number of bolts and other small but important and now lost mechanical items we saw. Since entering France we have seen approximately no hedgehogs. There are many possible conclusions: 1) All French hedgehogs are already dead. 2) Your French hedgehog is more wily than its European cousin and is simply better at crossing the road. 3) French drivers are better at avoiding hedgehogs (unlikely but I thought I should put it down). 4) French roads are better engineered to give hedgehogs an alternative to the Suicide Dash.
The biggest roadkill we have seen is a goat. Or rather, the hind leg of a goat. A happy few kilometres were spent inventing alternatives to “he can talk the hind leg off a donkey”.
I mentioned the badger – one very unusual thing in France was a sanglier (wild pig) piglet. With auburn stripey fur, very good looking and not too flat either.
At one point I saw a felt hat in a layby. And then looked closer and thought it might be a dead cat. More poetry ensued:
I had a cat
And now it’s flat
I think it will make
An attractive hat
Puppies, very sad.
Butterflies and more recently grasshoppers in huge quantities. And beetles. Janists apparently walk along with a brush in front of them so they don’t squash insects. We do try to swerve (if only because the sensation through the handlebars of running over a beetle is rather unpleasant).
BTW this may be a piece of information too far, but a decomposing animal has a very distinctive smell, which makes it easier to spot but also renders many laybys unattractive for a snack stop.
I’ll update this again with any late-breaking news, including, hopefully, any still-living wild animals.
*Later correction – I forgot some live weasels/squirrels and hares/rabbits from earlier days in the trip. Sorry about that, lads.
**France hedgehog corpse update. None in the Cevennes. Probably too hot for hedgehogs. More as we crossed over to Bordeaux. None since Rochefort.