Sunset at la Dôle / Private excursion with Marcelo and his family
Guiding an excursion for a family is always a great pleasure. Educating children is arguably one of the most important actions to protect nature. What better way to do this than to take them in the middle of nature as close as possible to wild animals.
It is therefore with great enthusiasm that I meet Marcelo, his wife and their 2 children for this private excursion to La Dôle in the Jura. The goal is to see and photograph the Chamois. This excursion is ideal for families because the Chamois are much less shy here than elsewhere. It is possible to approach without disturbing, which can result in exceptional encounters that mark young and old.
We start our walk and no Chamois can be found where I saw them only a few days earlier. Looking closely, we later find a young Chamois of the year at the foot of a tree in the shade.
It is too far away and too little visible for our 2 young adventurers to appreciate the encounter. We must therefore continue our efforts! We decide to climb a steep but safe slope and take a well-deserved break to admire the scenery and regain our strength. A glance to the left and we see an adult Chamois followed by a young one passing quietly in front of us.
After that, I point out to where there is another area with great chances of finding the herd, and let the children guide our ascent. Almost arrived at the top, we can see them! More than 15 Chamois are there, feeding and resting. We sit down and enjoy the show. The moment is magic!
This is the perfect opportunity to teach children how to interact with wildlife, while respecting animals and their habitat. Very motivated, they try and succeed in a good approach.
We arrive on the plateau and enjoy the sun and the view, surrounded by Chamois.
It is then time to begin our descent and we find a second part of the herd below. So we end up seeing more than 30 Chamois. The excursion ends with an incredible last moment when the 2 children and I admire a Chamois feeding within 10 meters of us.
The sun is setting and I leave Marcelo and his family in the hope that I have helped them appreciate and revere the nature around them even more. We turn around one last time and watch some last Chamois walking on the crest in the most beautiful light there is.
Jonathan
Guide Salva Fauna
