In the heart of quiet Avon-les-Roches, a situation that could tickle one’s detective imagination: local moles are disappearing without any trace.
In the peaceful town of Avon-les-Roches, located in Indre-et-Loire, a drama of unprecedented proportions has been unfolding for a few weeks: the moles, underground creatures well known to the inhabitants, seem to have suddenly disappeared. No trace of their characteristic soil mounds has been seen in gardens, fields or along roads, leaving the local population in a state of worry and perplexity.
“I still can’t get over it,” says Jean-Pierre Durand, a local 68-year-old farmer. “I woke up one morning, and everything was flat as a buckwheat pancake. Not a single bump on the horizon. I was torn between the delight of no longer tripping over these little pests and the panic of seeing our natural heritage disappear without warning.”
Since then, tension has only escalated in this quiet hamlet. In addition to environmental concerns, some worry about the economic consequences. As Mélanie Moreau, owner of the souvenir shop “La Taupe Joyeuse” (The Joyful Mole) points out: “If the moles disappear, what will I sell to tourists? Fly statuettes? Earthworm keychains? It’s a disaster!”
On its part, the town hall tries to remain optimistic and reassure the population. “It’s possible that the moles have simply decided to take a vacation,” suggests Bernard Leblanc, the town mayor. “They work hard the rest of the year, they’re entitled to a bit of rest, aren’t they?” A perhaps naive optimism in face of the seriousness of the situation, but it well reflects the fighting spirit of the inhabitants of Avon-les-Roches.
For now, the mystery remains. But one thing is certain, the disappearance of the moles has brought one thing to light: behind their peaceful facade, small rural communities like Avon-les-Roches hide stories as fascinating as they are unexpected.
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