Animals in France
Rooster
Gallus gallus domesticus
France has no official national animal, but the Gallic rooster has stood for the country for centuries. The link comes from a Latin word play: gallus means both rooster and a person from Gaul, the ancient name of the region. Over time it became a symbol of pride and vigilance, and today it appears on the gate of the Élysée Palace garden, on war memorials, on coins and on the shirts of French sports teams. Unlike the flag, the motto and the anthem, the rooster is not named in the Constitution, and it is a farm bird rather than a wild one, but it is still the animal most people link with France.
Wildlife in France
Mainland France covers about 550,000 square kilometers, making it the largest country in the European Union, and it is one of the few in Europe that touches both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Beyond Paris and the big cities, much of the country is farmland, vineyards and forest, which now covers about a third of the land. In a single trip you can go from the cliffs of Normandy and the rocky coast of Brittany to the oak and beech woods of the center, the old volcanoes of the Massif Central, the lagoons of the Camargue and the high Alps, where Mont Blanc passes 4,800 meters.
Centuries of farming, hunting and herding shaped the French countryside, and shepherds still move their flocks up to mountain pastures in summer. Protection came when some animals were nearly gone: Vanoise, the first national park, was created in 1963 largely to save the last alpine ibex, and today France has 11 national parks. The Gulf of Porto in Corsica and the Chaîne des Puys volcanoes are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
France is the most visited country in the world, and nature is a big part of the trip: hiking in the Alps and the Pyrenees in summer, birdwatching in the Camargue, and the coasts of Brittany and the Riviera. The wildlife follows these contrasts, with bears, wolves and wild goats in the mountains, deer and boars in the forests, flamingos and storks in the wetlands, and dolphins and whales off the coasts.
Most Dangerous Animals in France
France has very few dangerous wild animals, and serious incidents are rare. The animals that cause the most trouble are wild boars. Their numbers have grown so much that they now walk into towns, gardens and even the edges of big cities, and they cause many road accidents, especially at night and during the autumn hunting season. They can charge if surprised at close range, above all mothers with young, so it is best to keep away and never feed them. Big predators like bears, wolves and lynxes live in the mountains and forests and avoid people. Their attacks on sheep cause strong conflicts with farmers, and in the Alps the big guard dogs that protect flocks can be more of a worry for hikers than the wolves themselves, so walkers should pass slowly around herds. France also has a few kinds of vipers, including the European adder, which live on heaths, rocky slopes and forest edges. Their bite needs hospital care but is rarely fatal, and watching where you step and wearing closed shoes on mountain trails is usually enough. At sea, dolphins and seals are wild animals and should be watched from a distance, not approached in the water.
Top 10 Animals in France
France's best known animals are the big mammals that came back to its mountains, plus a giant of the sea. Brown bears live only in the Pyrenees, where the native population almost vanished before France released bears from Slovenia starting in 1996; in 2025 at least 108 different bears were detected across the whole range shared with Spain and Andorra. Wolves disappeared in the 1930s and returned on their own from Italy, reaching the Mercantour in 1992. The French Office for Biodiversity estimated about 1,082 at the end of winter 2024 to 2025, mostly in the Alps and Provence, and since French wolves come from the Italian population, both the gray wolf and the Italian wolf appear on the site. The Eurasian lynx came back in the Jura from Switzerland and through releases in the Vosges in the 1980s, but it is very hard to see. Red deer are easiest to watch during the autumn rut in forests like Chambord, in September and October. In the Mediterranean, boat trips in the Pelagos Sanctuary off the Riviera and Corsica look for sperm whales and dolphins in summer. Closer to home, hedgehogs and common genets come out at night, the European wildcat hides in eastern forests, and the European adder suns itself on heaths and rocky slopes.
Alpine Ibex
Capra ibex
In France, the Alpine ibex had almost vanished, and Vanoise National Park, the country's first, was created in 1963 partly to protect it. Its herd grew from about 60 animals to more than 2,000, and reintroductions brought ibexes to other French massifs. Since 2012 a brucellosis outbreak in the Bargy massif of Haute Savoie has led to culls and a long dispute with cattle farmers. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Badger
Meles meles
The European badger, called blaireau in French, lives throughout mainland France in woodland, hedgerow country and farmland, from the bocage of Normandy and Brittany to the foothills of the Alps and Pyrenees. Clans share large setts used for generations and forage at night for earthworms, fruit and insects. It is still a game species in France, where digging it out of its sett remains legal and controversial. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
France's brown bears live only in the Pyrenees. The native bears had almost disappeared by the 1990s, so bears from Slovenia were released starting in 1996. The population has grown since, and the 2024 count found 96 bears in France, including 22 cubs, out of about 130 in the whole range shared with Spain and Andorra. Conflict with sheep farmers remains intense. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Chamois
Rupicapra rupicapra
In France, the northern chamois lives in the Alps, with Vanoise, Écrins and Mercantour National Parks as key areas, and in the Jura and the Vosges, where it was reintroduced. The Chartreuse massif has its own subspecies, considered Vulnerable. The chamois of the Pyrenees, the isard, is a different species. French populations are stable and hunted under quotas. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hare
Lepus europaeus
France has one of western Europe's largest European hare populations, especially on the cereal plains of Beauce, Picardy and Champagne. Numbers fell sharply in the second half of the twentieth century with mechanized farming and habitat loss, and many hunting federations now count hares at night with spotlights each spring and set hunting plans area by area to keep populations healthy. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus
Across France, including Corsica, the European hedgehog is a familiar sight in rural gardens, vineyards and the bocage of Normandy and Brittany, where dense hedgerows give ideal shelter. It eats a wide range of invertebrates and helps control garden pests. The removal of hedgerows, road traffic and farm pesticides have reduced its numbers in many regions, and conservation groups ask people to make gardens hedgehog friendly. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
The gray wolf returned to France naturally from Italy in the early 1990s, entering through the Maritime Alps. Wolves have since spread across southeastern and central parts of the country, with packs now established in regions including the Alps, Massif Central and Vosges. The species is protected in France, but the government allows limited culls to reduce pressure on livestock. Sheep farming communities and conservationists hold sharply different views on managing the population.
Italian Wolf
Canis lupus italicus
Italian wolves began naturally recolonizing France from Italy through the Alps during the 1990s, and packs are now established across the southern Alps and into areas such as the Mercantour National Park. Nearly every wolf in France descends from that Italian stock, which is why both wolves are listed here. The wolves prey mainly on deer and wild boar, though their presence has sparked ongoing debate between conservationists and livestock farmers.
Alpine Marmot
Marmota marmota
The Alpine marmot is native to the French Alps and was brought back to the French Pyrenees in 1948, then released in the Massif Central, the Jura and the Vosges. It lives in colonies on alpine meadows above the tree line and can hibernate for up to nine months a year. Its sharp whistles warn of golden eagles and foxes, and it is easy to see in Vanoise and Écrins national parks. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Pine Marten
Martes martes
In France, the pine marten, called martre, lives in forests all over the country, from the Vosges and the Jura to the Massif Central, the Alps and the Pyrenees, and also on Corsica. It needs large, mature woods with old trees, where it rests in tree holes and squirrel nests. It hunts voles, squirrels and birds at night and eats berries and fruit, and it is rarely seen. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Stone Marten
Martes foina
In France, the stone marten, called fouine, is the marten people meet. It lives across the country in vineyards, farmland, villages and city suburbs, where it nests in attics and barns, makes noise at night and sometimes gnaws car cables. It hunts rodents and birds, raids henhouses when it can and eats a lot of fruit, such as cherries, plums and grapes, in summer and autumn. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Lynx
Lynx lynx
In France the Eurasian lynx lives mainly in the Jura, where it spread from lynx released in Switzerland in the 1970s, and in the northern Alps. Lynx were also released in the Vosges between 1983 and 1993, but that population nearly vanished and now depends on animals arriving from Germany's Palatinate Forest. France has about 150 adult lynx, and road collisions and illegal killing are major threats. Roe deer and chamois are its main prey. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Deer
Cervus elaphus
Red deer are widespread across France, inhabiting forests from the Ardennes and Vosges in the northeast to the woodlands of the Sologne and the forests of the Pyrenees. France holds one of the largest red deer populations in western Europe, and numbers have grown considerably over recent decades. The autumn rut draws many wildlife enthusiasts to listen to stags roaring at dawn. Hunting is regulated and helps manage populations in balance with forest ecosystems. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
The red fox is one of France's most familiar wild mammals, found from the forests of Normandy and the Vosges to the vineyards of Bordeaux, the Alps, the Pyrenees, Corsica and the outskirts of Paris. It eats voles, rabbits, birds, insects and fruit. France ended rabies in foxes with vaccine baits and was declared free in 2001, but in many departments the fox is still classed as a species that may be culled. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris
In France, the red squirrel lives in forests across almost the whole country, from the oak and beech woods of the north to the pine and fir forests of the Alps and Pyrenees, and it is common in city parks. It is protected by law. The gray squirrel has not become established in France, but its spread in northern Italy, close to the Alps, is a concern for the future. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Roe Deer
Capreolus capreolus
The roe deer is found throughout France, from the oak and beech forests of Normandy and the Massif Central to the wooded foothills of the Pyrenees and the Alps. It is one of the country's most abundant large wild mammals. French hunters harvest large numbers each year, yet populations remain robust. It feeds on a wide variety of plants and adapts easily to farmland and periurban woodland. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
The wild boar is one of the most abundant large mammals in France, found almost everywhere from the forests of the northeast to the Mediterranean scrub of Provence and Corsica, where the small local boars are a traditional dish. Its numbers have grown enormously since the 1970s, and hunters now take hundreds of thousands each year. Boars cause heavy crop damage and many road collisions. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Raccoon
Procyon lotor
France has three main raccoon populations. The largest began in the Aisne near Laon, where American soldiers released their pet raccoons around 1966, and has spread to nearby departments. Another came from Germany into Alsace and Lorraine from the 1970s, and a third grew in Auvergne. The raccoon is listed as invasive, and it threatens native amphibians, turtles and birds. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Genet
Genetta genetta
In France the common genet lives in the south and west, from the Pyrenees and Aquitaine up to the Loire and across the Massif Central to Languedoc. The Loire and the Rhône were long seen as the limits of its range, but genets are now settled east of the Rhône. It arrived from Spain after being brought to Iberia from North Africa, and it favors woods, scrub and river valleys with thick cover. IUCN status: Least Concern.
European Wildcat
Felis silvestris
France holds one of the largest European wildcat populations in western Europe, mostly in the northeast, from the Ardennes and Lorraine to Burgundy, the Vosges and the Jura, with another group in the Pyrenees. Locally called the chat forestier, it hunts voles in meadows next to the forest and is spreading to new areas. Roads are a major cause of death, and studies follow how much it mixes with house cats. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Mountain Hare
Lepus timidus
In France the mountain hare lives only in the Alps, from Haute Savoie to the Alpes de Haute Provence, usually between about 1,300 and 3,000 meters. It survives there since the last ice age, high above the brown hare of the valleys, and turns white in winter. It shares the alpine slopes with chamois, alpine ibex and alpine marmots, and golden eagles and red foxes are its main predators. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Otter
Lutra lutra
In France the otter survived the worst years mainly in the west, along the Atlantic rivers of Brittany, the Massif Central and Aquitaine. Protected by law, it has been spreading east and north again for decades, returning to rivers it had left. It lives in rivers, marshes and estuaries and shares the land with red deer, wild boar and badgers, while white tailed eagles nest in a few places. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
European Adder
Vipera berus
In France, the European adder lives in the cooler north and center, from the heaths and bocage of Brittany and Normandy to the Massif Central, the Jura and the Alps, but not in the warm Mediterranean south, where the asp viper replaces it. It favors heathland, hedgerows, bogs and mountain pastures. It has declined in many regions because of habitat loss, and is protected by law. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
In France, the griffon vulture breeds naturally in the Pyrenees and has returned to the Grands Causses and the Alps thanks to reintroduction. Between 1980 and 2004, more than 300 birds were released at five sites, and colonies now nest on the cliffs of gorges such as the Tarn and the Jonte. French griffons regularly cross into Spain and Italy on their long foraging flights. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eagle Owl
Bubo bubo
In France, the eagle owl is found across a wide range of habitats, from the rocky massifs of the Massif Central and the Alps to forested valleys in the Pyrenees. It was heavily persecuted in the past but has recovered well since legal protection came into force. Today it is a permanent resident across much of the country, nesting on cliff ledges and quarry faces. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
The saker falcon is a rare passage migrant in France, which lies well to the west of its breeding range. Wild birds are seen only occasionally, mostly in spring and autumn in open farmland and along the Mediterranean coast, and some records involve falconry birds that have escaped. The species does not breed or winter in the country. The IUCN lists the saker falcon as Endangered.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is one of the most widespread birds of prey in France, found in farmland, open countryside, villages and the edges of towns from the Channel coast to the Mediterranean. It nests in farm buildings, church towers, cliff faces and hollow trees, and hunts rodents silently at night using its remarkable hearing. France holds a large and generally stable barn owl population, though numbers fluctuate with rodent cycles and harsh winters can cause significant mortality. In many rural areas nest box programs have been installed by farmers and wildlife groups to support the species.
White tailed Eagle
Haliaeetus albicilla
The white tailed eagle is a rare but increasingly regular winter visitor to France. A small number spend the winter at lakes in Lorraine and Champagne, such as the Étang de Lindre and Lake Der, and near Strasbourg on the Rhine. Driven out long ago by hunting, it does not breed in the country, but sightings are growing as numbers recover across Europe. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Crane
Grus grus
France lies on the western European flyway, and each autumn tens of thousands of common cranes stop at Lac du Der in Champagne, one of the great crane sites of Europe. More and more of them now spend the whole winter in France, above all around Lac du Der and in the Landes, instead of continuing to Spain. After an absence of centuries, a small number of pairs have also returned to breed, mainly in Lorraine in the northeast. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Puffin
Fratercula arctica
Atlantic puffins nest in small numbers on islands off the coast of Brittany, particularly around the Sept-Îles archipelago, which is a protected nature reserve. This site represents one of the southernmost breeding locations in the species' range. French conservation bodies monitor the colony closely, as it remains small and vulnerable to disturbance and changes in fish availability driven by shifts in the Atlantic Ocean.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
France holds a significant breeding population of white storks, concentrated mainly in Alsace in the northeast, where restoration programs since the 1980s have helped the species recover from near local extinction. The birds nest on rooftops, church towers, and purpose built platforms in villages and towns. Wetlands, meadows, and river floodplains provide rich feeding grounds. Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the French population has grown considerably over recent decades.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
In France, the white wagtail breeds widely across the country and is present year round in the milder south and along the Atlantic coast. It favors riverbanks, lakeshores, wetlands and towns, and is a common sight in parks and on rooftops in many cities. Northern populations move through France in autumn on their way to wintering grounds in Africa, making it one of the most frequently observed small birds in the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
In France, the peregrine falcon nests on the cliffs of the Massif Central, the Alps, and the Pyrenees, and has also become a familiar sight in cities like Paris, where it breeds on cathedral towers and tall buildings. Urban populations feed mainly on pigeons and starlings. Conservation efforts following the DDT crisis helped the species reestablish itself across the country. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
In France, the mute swan is found across much of the country, particularly in the wetlands of the Camargue in the south, the Loire Valley, and the ponds and lakes of northern and eastern regions. It nests along slow rivers, marshes, and artificial lakes. In some areas, particularly in the Camargue, it shares wetland habitats with a rich variety of other waterbirds. The population is stable and classified as Least Concern.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
The nightingale breeds across much of France, from the bocage landscapes of the north to the garrigue scrubland of the Mediterranean south. It is closely tied to dense, low thickets and coppiced woodland, habitats that have declined sharply with modern farming and forestry practices. Populations in northern France have fallen considerably over recent decades. In the south, the species remains more stable thanks to the abundance of dense Mediterranean scrub. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
In France, the golden eagle breeds in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Jura and Corsica, with several hundred pairs. It favours steep mountain terrain where cliff ledges provide safe nest sites above open hunting ground. Marmots, chamois kids, hares and rabbits make up much of its diet. Its French name, aigle royal, means royal eagle. Pairs keep the same territory for years and often have several nests. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
France holds one of the most famous greater flamingo colonies in Europe, in the Camargue, the Rhône delta in the south. The birds nest on islands in the salt lagoons, and the colony has been studied and protected for decades, with thousands of chicks ringed there over the years. Flamingos are a symbol of the Camargue and can be seen all year in its lagoons and salt pans, as well as in other wetlands along the Mediterranean coast. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Monk Parakeet
Myiopsitta monachus
In France, introduced monk parakeet populations are present in several cities, most notably in the Paris region and along the Mediterranean coast. Originally descended from escaped pet birds, these urban flocks have grown steadily. French authorities have at times managed colony sizes due to concerns about damage to crops and infrastructure from their large communal nests. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
Across France, the Eurasian magpie is a constant presence in hedgerow landscapes, river valleys, and city parks from Brittany to Provence. It adapts easily to both rural and urban settings, feeding on insects, berries, and scraps. Its striking black and white plumage, with a tail that shimmers green and blue, makes it instantly recognizable. It is abundant throughout the country and faces no significant threats. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bearded Vulture
Gypaetus barbatus
France has the second largest bearded vulture population in Europe, with 93 territorial pairs in 2025. They live in the Pyrenees, in the Alps of Savoie and Mercantour, where reintroduced birds first bred in 1997, and on Corsica. Releases in the Grands Causses are bringing it back to the south. It feeds on the bones of chamois and alpine ibex. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
France has one of the largest coastal bottlenose dolphin populations in Europe, several hundred animals in the Gulf of Normandy and Brittany, often seen from the coast of the Cotentin peninsula. Resident groups also live around the islands of Molène and Sein, off Brittany. On the Mediterranean coast they are seen off Provence and Corsica, where the population is Vulnerable. IUCN status: Least Concern (Mediterranean population: Vulnerable).
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
France has the southernmost harbor seal colonies of the European Atlantic. The largest is in the Bay of the Somme, where hundreds rest on the sandbanks and can be watched from the shore near Le Hourdel. There are smaller groups in the Bay of Veys in Normandy and the Bay of Mont Saint Michel. The colonies were almost gone in the 1980s and have grown strongly since they were protected. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
France has large numbers of common dolphins in the Bay of Biscay and off Brittany, where they are the most common dolphin on boat trips. Every winter hundreds are found dead on the Atlantic beaches, killed in fishing nets, so since 2024 the government has closed parts of the Bay of Biscay to fishing for a month each winter to protect them. In the Mediterranean they have become rare. IUCN status: Least Concern (Mediterranean population: Endangered).
Sperm Whale
Physeter macrocephalus
In France sperm whales live in the deep waters of the Mediterranean, in the Pelagos Sanctuary shared with Italy and Monaco, between the Côte d'Azur and Corsica. In summer boat trips from Nice, Antibes and Toulon regularly find them, often by listening for their clicks with hydrophones. The Mediterranean population is small, only a few hundred, and is listed as Endangered, with ship strikes as a major threat. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in France?
France is home to brown bears, gray wolves, Eurasian lynxes, red deer, roe deer, wild boars, alpine ibex, chamois, alpine marmots, red foxes, badgers, martens, hares, red squirrels, hedgehogs, European wildcats and common genets. Its birds include golden eagles, white tailed eagles, griffon vultures, peregrine falcons, eagle owls, barn owls, white storks, cranes, flamingos, puffins, nightingales and Eurasian magpies. The European adder is one of its vipers. Along its coasts live bottlenose and common dolphins and harbor seals, and sperm whales swim far offshore in the Mediterranean.
What is the national animal of France?
France has no official national animal, but the Gallic rooster, le coq gaulois, is the animal everyone links with the country. The connection comes from Latin, where gallus means both rooster and a person from Gaul. The rooster appears on the Élysée Palace garden gate, on coins, stamps and war memorials, and on the shirts of the French football and rugby teams. It is not named in the Constitution, and it is a farm bird, not a wild one, but it has stood for the French people for centuries.
Are there wolves in France?
Yes. Wolves disappeared from France in the 1930s and came back on their own from Italy, crossing the Alps into Mercantour National Park in 1992. The French Office for Biodiversity estimated about 1,082 wolves at the end of winter 2024 to 2025, a number that has been fairly stable in recent years. Most live in the Alps and Provence, but they are spreading into the Massif Central, the Jura and the Vosges. They avoid people, but their attacks on sheep keep them at the center of a heated debate with farmers.
Are there bears in France?
Yes, but only in the Pyrenees. The native brown bears had almost disappeared by the 1990s, so France released bears from Slovenia starting in 1996. The population has kept growing since then, and in 2025 the French Office for Biodiversity detected at least 108 different bears across the whole Pyrenees range, which France shares with Spain and Andorra. Most live in the central Pyrenees, in Ariège and around the Spanish border. They stay in remote forests, eat mostly plants, nuts and insects, and are rarely seen by hikers.
Are there dangerous animals in France?
France has few dangerous animals. Wild boars are the most common risk, since they can charge when surprised at close range and cause many road accidents. The European adder and a few other vipers live on heaths and rocky slopes, and their bite needs hospital care but is rarely fatal. Bears, wolves and lynxes live in the mountains and avoid people, while the guard dogs that protect sheep in the Alps can be more of a worry for hikers. Dolphins and seals should be watched from a distance rather than approached in the water.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .