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Ryanair expected to be back in Bergerac next year says airport operator
Airport is not threatened by winter withdrawal of low-cost carrier said Dordogne Chamber of Commerce President in an exclusive interview
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French weekend weather forecast August 23 - 24: Calm weekend before potential storms
Temperatures may reach up to 30C in south but the nights will be cooler than recently meaning no heatwave warnings
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Two die as rockfall crushes family car on popular route near Chamonix
The parents in the front seats survived. The four were returning from a holiday outing
Bardot gift to elephant OAP home
Plans for the first elephant ‘retirement home’ in Europe have been boosted by a €350,000 donation from the Brigitte Bardot animal foundation
The money will help set up Elephant Haven, a sanctuary being built at Bussière Galant, Haute-Vienne, to house some of an estimated 100 elephants due to retire from zoo and circus life.
Sophie Goetghebeur is behind the project with her partner, Tony Verhulst, and said it was a massive boost, adding: “We may at last be able to receive our first elephant by the end of this year.”
Fondation Brigitte Bardot, one of France’s biggest animal welfare charities, pledged the money to build a barn to house the first three elephants.
Structural work costs €570,000 and fund raising is still a priority as the interior will cost €150,000.
Ms Goetghebeur said the foundation had been following their progress from the start. “After we at last got the go-ahead for the project from the authorities last year, they came to see us.
“They were impressed by the number of volunteers here to help us and the support we have from local business and local authorities.”
Fondation spokesman Christophe Marie said it was one of their biggest financial projects in 2018 and was the kind of initiative it liked to support to get a positive result for the animals.
In all, 21 European countries ban or limit wild animals in circuses. Ms Goetghebeur felt the circuses would not put the animals down but keep them, although not in good conditions.
At the haven, they hope to have room for three elephants and 10 maximum in the future as they need a lot of land and upkeep.