In the Circeo National Park "there is no provision and a 'slaughter' of deer will never be foreseen and no hunter or selector will ever shoot inside the protected area". The Park assures him in relation to the news of 350 fallow deer which, according to the National Animal Protection Agency, "will soon be killed on the basis of the 'Deer Management Plan' approved by the Circeo National Park which provides for the reduction of the population of the 30%. "
The situation created over time in the Circeo forest (Biosphere Reserve protected by UNESCO) "with the surplus of fallow deer and harmful side effects on flora, fauna, safety and more, has imposed a definitive and clear assumption of responsibility for the Park Authority to tackle the problem of expanding the fallow deer population within the State Forest "explains the Authority. The Park then - following the indications of an authoritative scientific institute such as Ispra (Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) reported in the 'Guidelines for the management of Ungulates - Cervidae and Bovidae' - has drawn up a special Management Plan of control "which received the positive opinion of the Ministry of the Environment". A favorable opinion was also expressed by the Lazio Region. The fallow deer population currently present, explains the Park, "is destined to a numerical increase and to an expansion of the range, with destructive and irreparable consequences" both on vegetation, on part of the animal population, and on socio-social aspects. economic and safety. For these reasons, "here too, it was necessary to plan actions to contain the population by intervening through a withdrawal equal to at least 30% of its size, considering its growth capacity". With the determination n.226 of 30/12/2019, the Park Authority then started the implementation phase of the management plan, committing the total sum of 195 thousand euros (170 thousand on the chapter "interventions for improvement, protection, recovery and remediation environmental + 25 thousand on the chapter "construction of wildlife areas for containment of fallow deer and wild boar"), budget approved by the Ministry of the Environment: "a high cost - observes the Park - but, in line with the complexity of the interventions envisaged and necessary to remedy the consequences of past and incorrect human management interventions ".
However, the Enpa affirms that "alternative and non-bloody solutions are still possible" and for this reason it invites the President of the Park to consider other possibilities after having promoted a census of the fallow deer population. "Recall that the use of killing animals for the containment of populations has been implemented by Italian parks and more generally throughout Italy for over twenty years without ever bringing any results. It is time to take note of this failure - says the Enpa - and, in synergy with the ministries concerned, to start taking innovative and effective paths, one of which is represented by the research project which involves testing the immunocontraceptive drug Gonacon, which intervenes on birth control, promoting a numerical drop. This technique, used abroad, has given excellent results. "The Circeo national park represents a precious asset for biodiversity and an important point of reference for citizens and today it is under attack by poachers and speculators. for this reason it has become even more important to start changing course immediately, and take the path of innovation, applying all the measures effective and not bloody kings already available to Italian parks.