Native wildlife finds a welcoming home in this real animal kingdom

Lozère has a grand tradition of protecting its native wildlife. Vast nature reserves permit wolves and bison to roam in semi-liberty; vultures and other birds of prey are protected. You’ll find in this sparsely populated corner of southern France nature holidays in the true sense of the word. You too can play your part in helping safeguard important European wildlife.

Locals talk affectionately of the Gévaudan wolf as a timid, gentle and friendly fellow-creature! To the point that they’ve given their wolves a nature reserve of their own to roam in semi-freedom. Find out more about these handsome creatures, their way of life and even the legends surrounding them (wolves haven’t always had a good press!) www.loupsdugevaudan.com (at the moment the website is still only in French) or email: infos@loupsdugevaudan.com
You can even adopt a wolf ...though you won’t get custody.

Europe’s largest mammal dating back to prehistoric times as cave paintings show. Ancestor of the world’s bison. In an international attempt to save the European bison from extinction, the Margeride area was chosen as it met the stringent criteria for providing an eco-friendly habitat - in the bison’s ancient homeland, sparsely populated, densely wooded and with a suitable climate. Bison now have a 200 hectare nature reserve they can call home, thriving in small herds in semi-liberty since 1991. Visit the site by barouche or, if there’s enough snow, sleigh.
Find out more: www.bison-europe.com (in French) or email info@bison-europe.com

Vultures, like bison, don’t win many beauty contests. But they’re hugely impressive and have lived alongside man for thousands of years. Hunting and changing agricultural practices in the 20thC killed them off in the wild. Painstaking work over the last 30+ years has restored a thriving colony of over 200 vultures. They glide on thermal currents from the warm cliffs which provide safe nesting; the woodland of the Causses intermingled with vast grasslands are an ideal natural habitat. Virtually every species of vulture can now be seen here in the Cévennes, including the very rare European Black Vulture.

Find out more: www.vautours-lozere.com

Tempted by a nature holiday or eco - holiday? Interested in conservation and eco-tourism? Seduced by the added bonus of great food based on best local gastronomic traditions? It’s all there in our ‘Wildlife Holiday’. Visits cover the Margeride pastures where European Bison roam, the observation terrace at the Vultures’ Belvedere, and the Gevaudan Wolves’ Park for an encounter with this legendary animal. As evening approaches, relax in a charming 3-star hotel on the banks of the River Lot in historic Mende (medieval town on the Pilgrims Way to Santiago de Compostela), enjoying the view over the surrounding mountains. Your break: 4-night break. Available to 15 Nov 2005 Price: 295.5€ per person (sharing double room) Price includes: half-board; entry fees to the 3 sites Price does not include: travel, lunches, drinks, extra visits, cancellation insurance Hotel amenities: gym, indoor swimming pool, sauna and UVA. Restaurant specialising in local cuisine. For more information and to book this stay: email us