A show of nature has turned into tragedy on the slopes of Monte Catriain the Umbrian-Marchigian Apennines. A flock of pink flamingossurprised by the strong winds, crashed into the rocks, in the locality Balze of the wedgesabout 1,500 meters above sea level. The balance is dramatic: Seven dead specimens And two survivors, found in critical conditions.
The alarm was launched on March 15 by a group of hikers who came across the deceased birds. The scene that presented itself in their eyes was bleak: the flesychoper bodies, partly already preyed on wild animals, lay between the rocks and the vegetation. A violent impact, which has left no way out to seven of the nine specimens.
“An exceptional episode”, the experts called it. Mount Catria, with its peaks and its woods, is a decidedly unusual environment for these birds, whose natural habitat consists of coastal and lagoon areas. According to a first reconstruction, the flock, probably directed towards one of the nesting areas in the Adriatic, would have been surprised by the strong wind while flying over the Apennines. Diles from 120-130 kilometers per hour, thunderstorms and temperature changes have been fatal for the group in migration.
The two surviving flamingos, found in critical conditions, were wrapped in thermal blankets and entrusted to the treatments of the Wild Animal Recovery Center (Cras) of the Marche di Ca ‘groupin Urbino. From cras they let them know that the two specimens are recovering and, once restored, they will be freed in the Saline di Cervia, in the province of Ravenna, one of the nesting areas of the species. One of the two surviving flamingos has been caught in France and its ring reports the word “Paris”, in addition to the number that will allow its identification.
The intervention of the Cagli forestry was timely. On the spot, they found the remains of the animals, partly already preyed by wild animals and partly hidden, probably to be used as a reserve of food. THE Forestry carabinieri of Cagli And the operators of the crashes informed the incident The Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Security (ISPRA). It is hoped that there are no other specimens dispersed in the area: the intense cold, the disorientation and the many predators who live in the mountain would not leave these pink waders escape.
If you meet flamingos at 1,500 meters above sea level, it is a very rare event, seeing them in Italy is increasingly common. In fact, these migratory birds choose our country more and more often to spend the spring and summer months, returning from Africa. The largest colonies are concentrated in southern Italy, in particular in Saline of the Margherita Natural Reserve of Savoynear Trinitapoli, considered the largest in Europe. But it is possible to spot pink flamingos also in Calabria, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. This year, the Orbetello lagoon has been reached by over 6 thousand specimens.
