Do you hunt Dahu?

THE dahu (also known as dairi in the Jura) is a legendary wild animal that lives in steep mountainous areas. Its main characteristic is that two of its four legs are shorter than the others, rather like a kangaroo, except that the front right leg is shorter than the back right leg. The explanation for this strange morphology of the lower limbs is that the animal only lives on slopes. The explanation for this strange morphology of the lower limbs is that the animal only lives on slopes, which makes it easier to move around hillsides or mountains, but forces it to always move in the same direction and on the same side.

Procedure

To hunt wild boar, you need a large bag and a stick. According to local tradition, dahu are hunted in packs, in dense forests and ideally at night. November to February are the best months to hunt this rascal. By regularly banging their sticks against the trees, the hunters scare the animal, causing it to lose its balance. That's when the village «simpleton» comes in, posted below with an open bag and given the highly rewarding task of capturing the animal.

An alternative method, presented as much simpler, is to stand behind the wild boar and call it. As it is a sociable animal, it will turn round to see who is interested in it and lose its balance. This makes it easy to capture. Incidentally, hunters are trained to imitate the whistle of the dahu. This is sure to make the other participants laugh.

In the Swiss Jura, it is said that all you have to do is find the place where the dahu usually comes to drink and wait for it to pass by, holding the bag wide open. When the dahu arrives, catch it by putting it in the bag with a quick movement. As the dahu has a particularly keen sense of smell, it is advisable to fool it by taking off your shoes.

Just for laughs

The existence of the wild boar is generally mentioned in rural areas as a joke to particularly naïve people or city dwellers with little knowledge of mountain fauna. There are several versions of this humorous legend in Switzerland and France.