In 2023, the wolf population of France fell by 9%. This population was thought at 1003, down from over 1100.
It should be noted that France, as a large country, is likely to easily be able to support many more wolves than this. There are parts of the country, where wolves have not returned, with their main population lying in the Alps and surrounding areas, but also along the border to the East, and along the south of the country, with another population lying in the Pyrenees (it should be noted that this population is just started – thought to only be 16 individuals, though likely already increased). Should the wolf population in the Pyrenees become stable, wolves would be capable of using them as a staging area for repopulating both Spain and France.
In short? No, there is not too many wolves in France. This is patently absurd. It is true that many people believe that wolves have no place in France. In the UK, while I cannot see any UK government doing something sensible and returning them, there are many benefits. There are likely over 200,000 red deer, and 500,000 roe deer within the French nation. As such, predators are important, and with careful monitoring, the downsides are small.
With care, wolf watching could develop as a significant market within France
