THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity

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THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE
       A Threatened Symbol of
                  Biodiversity

       In pockets of low-lying farmland in France, a small
       rodent is the subject of much controversy, stirring
       up tensions between politicians, farmers and
       conservationists.

       The rodent in question is the Black-bellied hams-
       ter. Previously considered a pest, this species has
       been formally protected by ministerial decree since
       1996, along with the wolf, bear and lynx.

       Yet, despite this protection the species has been
       in steep decline since 2010, and the disappearance
       of this little known species would have a dramatic
       impact on the structure of the local ecosystem.

          All images © Eric Baccega / naturepl.com
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
The Black-bellied hamster (Cricetus cri-   They live a solitary nocturnal or cre-
cetus), also known as the European or      puscular life in the wild, and inhabit a
Common hamster, is the only member         complex system of burrows which can
of the Cricetus genus.                     reach depths of 2 meters.

They are much larger than their more       They are fiercely territorial and each
familiar relative the Syrian hamster,      burrow is occupied by one individual,
growing to lengths of 25-30cm and          with the exception of a mother and her
weighing up to 400g.                       young.

The hamsters act as an indicator of
good ecological health, as their pres-
ence not only provides a food source
for foxes, eagles and other predators,
but also demonstrates that the habitat
is suitable for other small mammals
and birds such as partridge and pole-
cats.
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
Distribution & Habitat
Native to large areas of Eurasia,
the Black-bellied hamster ranges
from Belgium to the Altai Moun-
tains in Russia.

Originally favouring a habitat of
fertile steppe and grassland, as
human activities encroached on
their range hamsters have suc-
cessfully spread into man-made
environments including mea-
dows, croplands and field edges.

Globally the population of Black-
bellied hamsters is not conside-
red to be vulnerable, yet locally in
areas of Belgium, France and Ger-
many populations are critically
endangered.
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
Deep ploughing and early tillage also pose
Agricultural Conflict
                                                                                                                  threats to hamsters’ survival.
Many European populations, including that of the Alsace in
France, are now small and fragmented due to historical perse-
cution. The threat to this population is further compounded by
changes in agricultural practice.

Hamsters prefer habitat created by sowing a mix of crops such as
wheat, barley or oats, and perennial legumes such as alfalfa
(lucerne). The maize monoculture, which now occupies 80% of
the agricultural land in the Alsace region causes a number of
problems.

     Maize provides very little cover in spring which is when the
          hamsters are breeding and at their most active, which
               leaves them very vulnerable to predators. Maize
                         monocultures, while easier for farmers
                              to manage and harvest, reduce the
                                   amount of habitat suitable for
                                                        hamsters.

                                                                Lucerne fields are ideal habitat for      The evolution of ever more efficient
                                                                      hamsters, but are no longer         techniques for cereal cultivation
                                                                    financially viable for farmers.       also impacts on the hamsters’ sur-
                                                                                                          vival, and could lead to local extinc-
                                                                                                          tion.

                                                                                                          Modern machinery leaves a greatly
                                                                                                          reduced stubble layer in autumn
                                                                                                          meaning there is less food and cover
                                                                                                          for young when they are born.
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
In 1993 the Association for the Protection of Wildlife
(L’association Sauvegarde Faune Sauvage, SFS) was
created in Elsenheim in the Lower Rhine Valley.

The Black-bellied hamster was declared a protected spe-
cies by the French government and they established a
program to rear, breed and reintroduce black-bellied
hamsters into the wild.

However by 2009 it was still considered among ‘the
most endangered mammals in Europe’ by the Euro-
pean Commission because the number of burrows
continued to decline, from 1,167 in 2001 to 161 in
2007, a trend which continued until 2009.

In 2011 the Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled that
France had failed to protect the Black-bellied hamster.
The court said that if France did not adjust its agricul-
tural and urbanization policies sufficiently to protect
the Black-bellied hamster, the government would be
subject to considerable fines of as much as 800,000
Euros per day.

In August 2012 a ministerial decree was issued which
required that a radius of 600 metres around each bur-
row located be managed in such a way as to be suitable
for hamsters to breed.

This ruling was not well received by local politicians
and even the SFS feared it may lead to the mass des-
truction of hamster burrows, in order to prevent fu-
ture urban development projects being blocked.
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
Breeding Centres
The SFS now runs 3 breeding
centres which are dedicated to
the breeding and reintroduction
of Black-bellied hamsters into
the Alsace region, with the aim
of reintroducing approximately
500 hamsters per year.
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
Breeding Programme
The females are very aggressive and must
accept a male for mating. As a precaution,
the male is kept in a cage before they can be
properly introduced.

Under the watchful eye of scientist Celine
Boulage, the hamsters breed once before
being released back into the wild.

This system has proved successful as a repro-
duction rate of around 30% is achieved.
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
The female gives birth to a litter of 5                    The babies are born deaf and blind. On their se-
young on average. Gestation lasts 21 days,                cond day they show black pigment on their back.
and the young are weaned 21 days later.                     By the fifth day the back has a light covering of
                                                               dark fur and black hairs appear on the belly.

                                             2 days old

                                             5 days old
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
Reintroduction
Once the hamsters are old enough they are re-
leased by ONCFS (National Office for Hunting
and Wildlife).

82% of the hamster population is concentrated in
five communities situated in the Lower Rhine.
THE HAMSTERS OF ALSACE - A Threatened Symbol of Biodiversity
Martin Klipfel, Mayor of Grussenheim, shown
with Jean-Paul Burget (President of SFS),
supports the hamster project, but understands
the frustration felt by farmers who find their
construction projects blocked due to the pres-
ence of hamster burrows on their land.
On 8th June 2013, 115 hamsters were released in 3 hectares of standing wheat, which will not
be harvested, to allow the hamster reintroduction the best possible chance of success.
Christian Schmitt is a local farmer who owns around 100 hectares
of land at Elsenheim, where he grows maize, lucerne and wheat.

                                                                   He is taking part in the hamster reintroduction project and holds
                                                                   one of the 3 breeding centres on his land, and certain of his fields
                                                                   are dedicated solely to the hamster reintroduction.

                                                                   The standing wheat, which will not be harvested, will allow the ani-
                                                                   mals to find food and shelter from spring until autumn. In return
                                                                   for his co-operation in the reintroduction project, he receives com-
                                                                   pensation from the government.
Monitoring Wild Populations
Monitoring the existing population and      On land where farmers have accepted the       In the spring, as the breeding season
success of the reintroductions is another   presence of hamsters, the ONCFS applies       approaches, the ONCFS conducts a new
aspect to the work done by SFS, and they    the new protocol for protecting the hams-     census of the burrows and tags animals
work closely with the ONCFS to achieve      ters. At Blaesheim the recent releases have   in order to find out more about their
this.                                       allowed a new wild population to emerge.      biological cycle.
Males are released immediately, but any females
                     caught are sent to the CNRS in Strasbourg where
                     a vet implants a heat sensitive transmitter in
                     their abdomen to allow their movements to be
                     tracked. Once fitted with this device, the females
                     are released and the ONCFS staff conduct a radio
                     check twice a week.
The hamsters are
caught by placing
tasty morsels such
as carrots and
onions in a
“sexing box”.

                     The aim of this project, set up as part of the
                     2012-2016 National Action Plan, is to unders-
                     tand the demographic parameters of a wild
                     hamster population evolving in optimal condi-
                     tions.

                     This study will also allow the researchers to esta-
                     blish the correlation between the permanent
                     ground cover vegetation and the number of
                     litters, in order to determine the causes for the
                     decline of the Black-bellied hamster and its hopes
                     for survival.
To find solutions which both protect
the species and agricultural production
is a challenge to which both ONCFS
and DREAL (the Regional Office for
Environment, Development and Hou-
sing) are working to find a solution.

The Black-bellied hamster of Alsace
has the potential to become, like the
white stork, an emblematic animal for
the region.

However, it still suffers from the
negative image of an animal which is
harmful to crops which prevailed in
the past. An image which may well be
difficult to change.
For more images please visit
     www.naturepl.com
 and search ‘Baccega hamster’

          or contact
laurasutherland@naturepl.com
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