Goose neck game: Saint-Bonnet-près-Riom persists, with the support of hunters
The outcry provoked by our investigations and the veto issued by the Puy-de-Dôme prefecture were not enough to dissuade them. On September 21, by organizing the goose neck game, the municipality of Saint-Bonnet-près-Riom chose to promote violence in a “festive” way. Because we reminded them that it is forbidden to kill animals in order to mistreat their remains, this year the organizers called on… hunters. According to our information, they did not hesitate to “supply” them with rabbits and pheasants that they had killed themselves.
Teenagers barely out of childhood tried again and again before successfully decapitating pheasants, rabbits, and geese suspended by their legs from a rope. The scene took place in the middle of the street, to the cheers of the crowd and right in front of young children. We have consistently denounced this initiatory custom from another time.
In 2023, the images from our investigation sparked a torrent of outrage. This year, we once again wrote to the authorities, including the prefect of the Puy-de-Dôme region, to demand that this “game” be banned. The response was swift: within hours, the prefecture reminded the mayor that this practice was illegal and ordered him to take action. For our part, we also contacted the mayor and the organizers.
Hunters who kill… and encourage the worst
The organizers chose to ignore this. Certain traditions can be deeply ingrained, and the hunting lobby will stop at nothing. In the height of cynicism, the geese were replaced by stuffed animals—a symbol that is just as harmful to young children. But the pheasants and rabbits on display were very real, killed, according to our information, by hunters—the very same people who loudly proclaim their respect for animals and nature.
A ritual that is bending and will eventually disappear
These acts of brutality, which are glorified as feats, are anything but festive: they trivialize animal abuse and present a model from another era to today’s youth. The links between animal abuse and violence against humans are well established. Everywhere else, our efforts are bearing fruit: Arfeuilles and Lesmont have reversed their decisions this year. We want to believe that the continuation of the “goose neck” game in Saint-Bonnet-près-Riom is the last gasp of a dying practice.
With your support, we will continue to take action to ensure that no more animals are killed or mutilated in the name of celebration.