A coexistence that has now become unsustainable is about to translate into one of the most impressive and discussed wildlife transfers on the Romagna Riviera. The famous colony of wild peacocks that have colonized the streets of Punta Marina Terme, a seaside village in the municipality of Ravenna, will be drastically reduced.
At the end of a heated public summit between citizens and the local administration, it was established that only 50 of the approximately 200 birds registered will be able to remain in the area. For the remaining 150 specimens, a real assisted relocation plan will be launched towards protected oases and suitable structures, thus putting an end to a media catchphrase that for months has occupied national television schedules and attracted reporters from all over Europe.
The numbers of the technological census and the inconveniences of coexistence
What started out as a bizarre tourist attraction has turned into a management problem that is difficult to resolve. In 2022 the population numbered just 60, but the uncontrolled reproduction rate pushed the administration to order an official census also carried out through the use of professional drones.
The surveys mapped the geometric presence of 50 females and 65 adult males, to which is added a 30% share of elusive specimens and approximately 50 newborns. Although the AUSL of Romagna has certified the total absence of health and hygiene risks, the mayor Alessandro Barattoni highlighted the need for the intervention, made urgent by the continuous complaints of residents about the nocturnal noise pollution during the mating season and the constant dangers linked to road traffic.
Ringing and transfer: the future of the colony in the woods
The complex logistical machine of the move will be coordinated in synergy with the activists of the animal rights association Meta, who will guarantee the well-being of the birds during the delicate operations of capture and transport to the shelters. The 50 specimens that will obtain the visa to stay in Punta Marina will immediately undergo identification ringing on the leg to monitor the demographics of the colony.
However, the Municipality’s long-term plans look towards a definitive separation between the urban fabric and exotic birds: the objective set within three years involves the creation of an equipped naturalistic area in the woods behind the seaside resort, where the surviving peacocks will be definitively confined, thus guaranteeing the protection of the animals and the serenity of the residents.
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