The siege begins in the evening and ends, when all goes well, at dawn the following day. Mouflons have long been an attraction for the seaside village of Arbatax. Their walks along Via Lungomare and the climbs on the ridge between Piazzale Rocce Rosse and Batteria enchant residents and (above all) tourists. But the flip side of the coin is the inconvenience they are creating.
There is no longer a count of reports to the Tortolì Forestry station, to the Carabinieri, to the local police and directly to the mayor, Marcello Ladu. In several villas, from the upper part towards the sea, for several months a permanent presence has changed the lives of the inhabitants: the mouflons. Which, in groups (even 10-12 specimens at a time), place themselves in front of the entrance doors and ruminate inside the gardens, fenced to perfection. Every day, almost at all hours. But especially at sunset and during the night. Result: many residents had to change their schedules.
They prefer not to leave or return when the herd leaves its comfort zone in which it devours forage. "We are hostages - they say - we no longer know what to do."
The new regional councilor for the environment, Rosanna Laconi, has already been informed of the issue. It was the regional councilor Salvatore Corrias who illustrated the "emergency", as the Dem representative defines it. The Tortolì Forestry station and the Tortolì Municipality are also working on the case.
