Griffades d’ours dans la grotte de Hautecourt (Ain, France)
Abstract
The Hautecourt Cave (Ain, France), carved into Tithonian limestones of the Jura Massif, extends over 150 meters with a vertical range of 36 meters. Known since 1631, it was developed for tourism between 1849 and 1909, before being designated and protected in 1980, becoming the first underground nature reserve in France. Bear traces were identified in the late 1980s and, at the request of the conservator of the Hautecourt Nature Reserve (LPO Ain), an examination confirmed that they are indeed bear claw marks, most likely attributable to the brown bear (Ursus arctos), although the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) cannot be formally excluded. The absence of bear bones or other bioglyphs suggests a brief and isolated use of the cave, probably by a single individual. To date, these claw marks constitute the only tangible evidence of bear presence in the Hautecourt Cave and suggest the existence of an entrance that has since disappeared.
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BibTeX
@article{griggo2026griffades,
title = {{Griffades d’ours dans la grotte de Hautecourt (Ain, France)}},
author = {Christophe Griggo},
journal = {Karstologia},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05796847v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Griffades d’ours dans la grotte de Hautecourt (Ain, France)
AU - Christophe Griggo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Karstologia
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05796847v1
AB - The Hautecourt Cave (Ain, France), carved into Tithonian limestones of the Jura Massif, extends over 150 meters with a vertical range of 36 meters. Known since 1631, it was developed for tourism between 1849 and 1909, before being designated and protected in 1980, becoming the first underground nature reserve in France. Bear traces were identified in the late 1980s and, at the request of the conservator of the Hautecourt Nature Reserve (LPO Ain), an examination confirmed that they are indeed bear claw marks, most likely attributable to the brown bear (Ursus arctos), although the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) cannot be formally excluded. The absence of bear bones or other bioglyphs suggests a brief and isolated use of the cave, probably by a single individual. To date, these claw marks constitute the only tangible evidence of bear presence in the Hautecourt Cave and suggest the existence of an entrance that has since disappeared.
SN - 0751-7688
SN - 2546-9002
ER -