Farmers release sheep under Eiffel Tower in protest

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)

Farmers released sheep under the Eiffel Tower on Thursday (November 27) in protest against the government's policy on protecting wolves, complaining that they are killing too many of their animals.

There are estimated to be between 250 and 300 wolves currently living in France divided into around 20 packs.

The first recent attack on livestock by a wolf was recorded in 1993, and the number of animals killed continues to rise as the population of wolves grows and they begin to colonize greater areas of land, according to the French National Ovine Federation.

Today, 28 French departments are affected by wolves, up from just 11 in 2009, with the number of animals killed now exceeding 8,000 in total, they said.

To demonstrate the problem to the public the farmers brought a number of young lambs whose mothers have been killed by wolves, meaning that they have to be hand-fed.

Farmers managed to successfully eliminate the wo