Thousands of flamingos have settled on rice fields in the Italian Po-Delta and cause enormous damage. The birds, looking for food in the flat, water -rich fields, destroy the young rice plants. Farmers are desperate – Their most important source of income is threatened, defense foremen fail.
The farmers try to drive out the flamingos with nocturnal patrols, horns and headlights, but the birds continue to return. Giampaolo Cenacchi, vice -president of the consortium of the rice farmers of the PO Delta, explains that 80 percent of the harvest is lost. The situation is “dangerous for existence” for many companies.
Flamingos colonize Italy
An ornithologist confirms that the pink flamingo in Italy is experiencing an extraordinary spread. The birds would use the artificially irrigated rice fields as a replacement habitat because natural wetlands disappear.
The affected farmers have been calling for more support from politics for months. The compensation of the damage caused by protected wild animal species is the responsibility of the Emilia-Romagna area, but does not always cover the actual losses. Farmers now hope for a common strategy of politics, science and nature conservation to solve the problem.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
