Making children aware of the plight of the European Hamster

The Vaisseau is an activity and exhibition centre in Strasbourg that caters for young audiences, with the aim of promoting science and the culture of science and technology. Within the scope of the ‘Science à Croquer’ programme, on Saturday 7 October, it opened its doors for a conference about the European Hamster.

Julie Roux organises and manages the activities and public awareness aspect for GEPMA (group for the study and protection of mammals in Alsace), a partner of LIFE Alister. Throughout the day, she encountered many curious visitors, from babies to grandparents, who were very interested in the lives of European Hamsters.

In an interactive and fun way, children learned about this iconic animal of Alsace, its environment, diet and risk of extinction:

• what is a mammal?
• what is the difference between wild animals and pets?
• what is a prey and a predator?
• why is the European Hamster a threatened species and what is being done to save it?

Informing the general public is a fundamental part of the actions organised within the LIFE Alister programme. It is being followed with interest by the European Commission and constitutes an essential means of raising awareness about the problems and issues regarding the European Hamster and biodiversity in general.

The next meeting organised by GEPMA is at the ‘Salon de la Nature et de la Photo’ in La Wantzenau, on 4 November from 3.00 to 6.00 pm.