A hiker at France's Isola 2000 ski resort captured rare video of seven wolves calmly walking across a groomed slope. The December 7 sighting occurred just one day after the resort opened for the season, marking what the witness called an "unprecedented" encounter with wildlife.

Isola 2000 sits in southeastern France near Mercantour National Park, where wolf packs are known to roam. France's Office of Biodiversity reported about 15 wolf packs in the department as of 2023. The sighting follows news of the country's first black-fur wolf pack in the neighboring Var region, suggesting ongoing shifts in regional wolf populations.

While peaceful, the encounter highlights growing tensions between development and natural habitats. As ski resorts expand into wildlife corridors, close animal encounters become more likely. Conservation efforts focus on monitoring wolf packs, promoting coexistence strategies, and educating visitors to respect wildlife and trail closures. Similar issues affect hiking trails in the U.S., where bear encounters have increased. At the same time, conservation efforts show promise: in Indonesia, a critically endangered Javan rhino was recently born in a protected area.