After two years of interruption, linked to the pandemic, it returns to the territory of National Park of the Casentinesi Forests the now traditional autumn census of the red deer (cervus elaphus) with the bell system. A numerical monitoring that this year will take place on Thursday 22nd and Friday September 23, with eventual recovery on Saturday 24 September, calendar days that are within the mating season for deer, a season that mother nature has placed in the period from mid-September to mid-October.
The method of counting deer with the 'roar' system, invented by Rolf Langvatn in 1977, was tested in Italy and adapted to the Apennine reality in 1991 by a group of wildlife technicians from the Dream cooperative, led by Vito Mazzarone. The bellowing method is based on the need to determine the number of individuals of an animal species starting from its sound traces. The estimate of the deer heads takes place in the autumn nights, through the combined calculation of the position of the male deer they emit the typical, mighty, call (the roar). The count is made possible by listening, in fact, to the vocalization of sexually mature deer, in the apex of the reproductive period.
The monitoring method also includes the collection of structure data of the deer population. The condition for the success of the estimate is that it has been covered an extensive surface of the reproductive area, for which several hundred voluntary detectors are needed. It is no coincidence that this is one of the most popular faunal management events in Europe, with the use of numerous volunteers, eager to listen to the mighty roar of the deer. The censors will be engaged throughout the weekend in listening shifts in the evening, inside the Casentino forests, accompanied by expert staff from the National Park and the Forest Police.
Luca Santini, president of the National Park, says: "'Citizen science' arises from the observation that in order to carry out ambitious studies, researchers need a huge amount of data and information, which would often involve unsustainable costs. The days of the roar are an opportunity to introduce places of immense beauty, experience adventure and friendship, share the passion for the environment and participate in the protection measures for an extraordinary animal, which is the deer ". The latest censuses have estimated a presence of 2.000 deer in the National Park. The Apennine wolf will also be at the center of the aforementioned weekend, which will be surveyed through 'wolf-howling' sessions, at the end of the evenings of listening to deer in love (Il Resto del Carlino).