Ibex rescued with crampon stuck in its mouth
The video published on social media has caused a great deal of attention in recent days.
Since the beginning of September, hikers in the Dent d’Oche massif in Haute-Savoie, France, have been observing an ibex injured by a crampon stuck in its mouth.
@anaisetsatribu Notre plus grande richesse est la nature, préservons là ! Ce n'est pas « juste un bouquetin » qui va « dommage pour lui » mourir comme ça. NON je refuse. Nous sommes en contact avec plusieurs associations pour aller lui porter secours, il a les crampons coincés dans la gueule depuis une dizaine de jours déjà .. C'est une sacré organisation mais on ne l'abandonnera pas 😢 ! 🙏🏽 #protegeonslanature #avenir #naturelovers #nature #animauxsauvages #bouquetins #hautesavoie #mountains ♬ So Cold (The Good Wife Trailer) – Ben Cocks
A first rescue attempt was launched on Wednesday of last week. Without success. The female ibex leapt away from the animal welfare group in fright. Six days later, on Tuesday, 26 September 2023, the animal was rescued by a team of three members of the French Office for Biodiversity accompanied by a veterinarian.
After a several-hour hike, the team spotted the female resting on a rocky ledge together with her kid. The rescuers approached cautiously and sedated the animal with an injection dart. Once the female was immobilised, the veterinarian began to remove the crampon. It turned out that a link from the mountaineering equipment had become lodged in one of the animal's teeth.
As soon as the ibex mother woke up, she ran off with her young, which had kept its distance during the procedure.
