A violent forest fire hit the Nerola area hard, hitting the natural area of Mount Elci and reaching the perimeter of the Capra Libera Tutti sanctuary. The disaster was triggered on the afternoon of Tuesday 23 June by lightning that struck a tree in the total absence of local rain.
The flames, fueled by vegetation made barren by the climate crisis and strong gusts of wind, quickly devoured over 300 hectares of woodland. The advance of the fire required the massive intervention of the Fire Brigade and Civil Protection with the air support of helicopters and Canadair, causing the temporary closure of a section of Via Salaria and the precautionary evacuation of nine families in the area.
The managers of the structure, led by the founder Massimo Manni and the director Simone Scampoli, managed to avoid the worst thanks to the firebreaks created in advance around the refuge, which blocked the line of fire close to the cattle pens. All the host animals escaped death, but the emergency shifted to the logistical and economic management of the post-fire period.
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The destruction of pastures and the economic impact on feed
The real structural damage to the sanctuary lies in the total loss of the areas intended for natural grazing, a primary resource from which hundreds of free animals drew their daily sustenance. The ash has erased the spontaneous vegetation, which will not be able to regenerate before next spring. This scenario forces the center’s managers to purchase hay and feed in massive quantities on the ordinary market, completely altering the management budgets.
The internal animal population currently consumes at least four bales of hay per day, for a fixed cost of around 60 euros per bale, to which the costs for specific organic feed must be added. Unlike intensive farms, where food mixtures aim to rapidly fatten the animal in preparation for slaughter, the sanctuary uses balanced formulations created by a nutritionist to guarantee a healthy and long-lived life to creatures saved from exploitation and abandonment.
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Community fundraising for reconstruction
To deal with this sudden economic crisis, Capra Libera Tutti has activated digital channels for an emergency fundraiser aimed at the supply of feed and the reconstruction of damaged fences. The response from the network of supporters was immediate, representing crucial psychological and emotional support for the shelter staff at a moment of extreme vulnerability.
The Nerola facility has for years welcomed cows, pigs, sheep, goats, horses and birds removed from the livestock supply chain, offering them the possibility of aging according to natural biological rhythms. The solidarity campaign aims to keep this promise of freedom unchanged, asking for the help of private donors and volunteers to get through the winter and return the mountains to the animals. Here is the link to access the fundraiser to help them.
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