25 new deer can jump from Fium’Orbu to Alta-Rocca

It required twenty agents of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica. It was necessary to use so many ways of transportation by land and air, it imposed an important logistics and a precise timing of the actions.

It was perfectly organized without any mistake. Even the weather was necessary to ensure the success of the operation.

The new liberation of deer was done by the team of PNRC between Fium’Orbu and l’Alta Rocca. The first group of deer (25 animals) was transported in the zone of U Viteddu (municipality of Zicavo) and specifically on the land belonging to the mayor of this town, François-Marie Dominici. The air transportation by helicopter was managed by Stevan Mondoloni, coordinator of the program.

It took more than two hours and ten rotations of two helicopters for leave deer in their new home. But for the team of PNRC work starts some hours before, in the morning, when it was necessary to catch animals in their enclosure at Casabianda, one of the three that exist in Corsica with Ania-of-Fium'Orbu and Quenza. Unaware of the freedom that awaits them, the animals do not let themselves be seized easily. It was a good fight because they agreed to enter into their coffers, not without some slight wound to some of the park agents.

Ten rotations of two helicopters. After the first hour of transfer, the group of trucks, offroadsters and cars branded with the PNRC logo came to the point of the start of transportation - Chisà. Two helicopters came with pilots of the Corseus company. Michael Galiner, mayor of Chisà came with them from Ajaccio.The first to be transported to the zone of issue are the agents of the PNRC that need to be numerous in place to take over this important wealth.

Journalists were also embarked on this first convoy on which took place close to Michel Galinier also the former mayor and former agent Guy Ferreri park, visibly happy to take part in an adventure that had already lived on two previous occasions, in 1999 and 2007.

The rotations followed one another with a rapid pace to transport by helicopter to the crates and back empty. And all this without any landing. Congratulations to the two pilots who completed this very technical and quite risky mission.

On the place, without any hurry, twenty five deer left their boxes as soon as they felt the taste of freedom. They shouldn’t take long to reach their friends in Alta – Rocca. On the way back the team of PNRC was really happy. It’s easy to understand it. This operation with a lot of severities was accomplished with success.

Isabelle VOLPAJOLA

ANIMAL EQUIPPED WITH GPS COLLARS

Three operations were carried on from 1999 with departure from Chisà. If the first fifty deer decided to stay in Fium’Orbu, this operation has a goal to reach another group of deer which stay in Alta – Rocca. The aim is to understand deer’s behavior in their new world. Half of them has been fitted with GPS collars.

The PNRC has also invested around € 40,000 in the purchase of electric fences to be allocated for agricultural entrepreneurs who have suffered damages related to the presence of deer, especially in the zone of Fium'Orbu.

The team of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica proceeded to a new release in the zone of U Vituddu, in the municipality of Zicavo. The operation was carried on by helicopter transport. It was complex and perfectly organized.