The year 2023 confirms its sad record of poisonings.
However, we want to tell a different ending than usual.
We are in San Donato Val di Comino, in early August. Once again, Salviamo l’Orso volunteers along with Rewilding Apennines staff and volunteers reach the GPS point of a griffon vulture that was reported to have been stationary for several days.
Once again a case of poisoning, taking away 7 griffon vultures that had been feeding on a poisoned carcass.
The list grows longer: 26 griffon vultures, 9 wolves, 4 foxes, 3 crows and 1 marten lost to poison in 2023.
The usual rigmarole of calls, analyses, investigations, sadness, worry begins.
A novelty, in its own way revolutionary. Mayor Enrico Pittiglio issues an ordinance banning grazing and all other activities, including hiking, on about 30-40 hectares for 120 days.
An important and bold measure to try to discourage the use of poison. By affecting the whole community, including those who have nothing to do with the perpetrators of the poisoning, it tends to defeat the omertous atmosphere of so many of our small towns where everyone knows but no one reports. It pushes everyone to become custodians of a common good.
We thank Mayor Pittiglio for this act of great responsibility, one of the few actions that we think can work to put a stop to these cowardly and cruel acts.