French taxpayers pay for bears, taxpayer-subsidized farmers complain
BBC News this morning reported that the French government has paid for several Slovenian bears to be released in the Pyrenees, where native bears had been killed off years ago. Apparently the Slovenians were brought in to attract French tourists to the region, which tells me something about French tourism.

The reason the bears were killed off was because of sheep farming. Of course, now that the bears are back, the sheep farmers are ready to kill the bears again because the bears are killing sheep again, and the Beeb report (available as Barefaced cheek: French bears get backing) says about a local farmer: "he's prepared to shoot the bears". The Beeb also talks about the patou dogs (re-introduced, also at taxpayer's expense) that the bears don't dare tangle with. My question was, "nice, the French bears didn't, but do the Slovenian bears know that? How do the sheep feel about this? Are the dogs working 35-hr weeks?" After all, the Beeb has a report (at the same link) that shows an American psychiatrist who traveled all the way to New Zealand to visit farm animals (junket, anyone?) and concluded from his trip that animals have feelings.

Before my questions were answered, the Beeb concluded its report on bears by showing a guy dressed like one of the democratic peasants from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, complete with John Cleese's French accent.

For those who ask, "Does the bear sh** in the woods?", the Beeb also has a video on What bears really do in the woods, done with hidden, Candid-Camera equipment, this time paid by British taxpayers.

Update: Richard at EU Referendum sees the French all at sea