In New Zealand, a very rare Travers' beaked whale was discovered washed up on a beach.

France Press agency

In Hérault, camels educate holidaymakers about waste collection

Under a scorching sun, two camels, Lily and Touareg, wander the beach of Frontignan (Hérault): bags slung over their backs, they search for waste to collect from holidaymakers, surprised to find such an animal so far from the African desert. “The goal,” explains Coralie Le Meur, co-founder of the “Dromassoud” operation and camel breeder, “is to encourage people to take their waste home, or throw it on the beach in containers to be sorted. Camels attract, and are attracted.” “Toys are mediators between humans and nature,” the 28-year-old adds to AFP. In 2023, during all summer holidays, once every 15 days, and every Saturday, the municipality of Frontignan has made the choice to awaken tourists to respect their environment, by inviting this local company and its camels. First of all. The camels walk on the beach, collecting rubbish. “The goal is fun: to raise awareness in children from a very young age and encourage them to sort their waste,” explains Jean-Louis Molto, elected to the Frontignan city council, delegate of coastal areas and ports. And once again, success: Tuareg, a 16-year-old camel, and Lily, a four-year-old girl, have aroused the curiosity of holidaymakers, who are encouraged to throw their waste in bags stamped with the company’s logo. The city places itself on the sides of the animals as they stroll along this beach every two weeks: “Hello, do you have any plastic waste, packaging?” asks Coralie, as she pulls a small group of people towards her. – “Saving champion” – Luc Rivière, 64, in a swimsuit and sunglasses, can’t believe it, and in his hand are two empty bottles. Half-assured, he comes and puts them in one of the bags that Tuareg carries, without taking his eyes off the animal. “It’s amazing,” he says, marveling. “I tell myself that it can motivate people to be careful, to do what’s necessary to keep the beach clean.” Frontignan beach, out and then back. On a walk that took more than three hours on Saturday, their presence caught the attention of families: “I’ve never seen one before!” exclaimed a young girl in a pink swimsuit. “The smell isn’t good,” laughs one of the young vacationers. Once their time on the beach is over, Lily and Touareg head towards one of the parallel streets, where the sorting boxes are located. Their bags are emptied and their contents distributed into the containers opposite them. If the volume is large, the exact number of kilograms collected in this way is currently being studied by the city council: “Before, we had rubbish bins on the beach,” says Jean-Louis Molto, an elected official in Frontignan. “When they were full, people put their rubbish bags next to them, seagulls came to blow them up, and the wind carried everything out to sea. So it seemed important to us to move these bins (Editor’s note: On the seafront road). “At sea, adding selective sorting,” explains the elected official. Accompanied by their guides, through the city, the two camels only had to walk back to their farm, satisfied with a day “in which everyone felt useful,” explains their work. “The camel is the champion of saving and resources,” insists Cécile Le Meur, 55, who co-founded the Dromassoud farm with her daughter Coralie: “It is an animal that does not drink much, and is overly adapted.” The heat, which knows how to walk perfectly on the sand, and therefore makes way almost naturally to pick up litter on the beach. “ysp-st/ol/abl