I first saw old-fashioned bird-hunting in one of my favorite films. And I recall marveling at the technique and tradition as depicted there (I put the film’s poster and link to a review of the film because I am not willing to share images of the practice itself from the story below). It was not until much later that I appreciated the barbaric consequences of the tradition. Today I am reminded that the practice still exists, and more surprisingly it exists in the place where the film made me appreciate the tradition. I no longer appreciate anything about the tradition:
Slaughter of the songbirds: the fight against France’s ‘barbaric’ glue traps
French hunters claim tradition justifies their exemption from EU rules. But with many species endangered, there is growing pressure for a ban
Read that article. Beware the disturbing images. If you are familiar with biophilia, which we have been writing about and experiencing and celebrating for the entire run of this platform, you will understand why the images disturb me. Not least for the careless destruction of these animals. Also, they illustrate so bluntly how culture is complicit. My family had the privilege of living in France. My Francophilia is overwhelmed by this tradition as practiced today, when we all know that endangered species are at risk. This will not diminish what I love about the country, nor diminish my appreciation of this pair of films that capture a moment in that culture’s history. But still. Really, France?
