This fascinating book is about a wolf pup that is both a true story and a modern tale. A wolf pup appears, in autumn 2019, in the village of Valberg, in the heart of the Mercantour Park in the south of France. The same wolf pup mobilizes local residents, the forces of law and order, two ministers, hunters, breeders, activists, naturalists, scientists, and soon nearly 45,000 petitioners.

The pup is captured but one fine day, the GPS collar is found intact, without the animal, which has vanished into thin air. The mystery of the Valberg wolf begins.

Pauline Briand spent nights guarding a flock of sheep, met the people who had crossed paths with the wolf, and examined opinions, rumors and fantasies generated by the wolf’s story. She drew on reports of attacks, DNA studies of lupine droppings and the work of various government departments and associations on the subject.

The Wolf of Valberg is a breathtaking true story that captures the tensions surrounding a burning issue: how can we cohabit with wolves in France today? It is a passionate work of two years combined with nature writing that brings this moving story to life.