Target: Pascal Canfin, Chair of European Parliament Committee on the Environment
Goal: Find alternative to culls of rare mouflon sheep.
Once again, animals have made a home in a habitat forced upon them by humans. And once again, the humans are now declaring these animals “invasive” and legally eradicating them. This time, the location is a small Italian island known as Giglio, and the animals are a rare wild species of sheep. Without action, mouflon sheep could be culled en masse and essentially disappeared from the land they now call home.
The current sheep are thought to be ancestors of a group brought to the island in the 1960s by a landowner who abandoned the flock. They are not native to the area but have since settled across the island. Roughly 30 remain, but they are now the targets of a European Union (EU) sanctioned cull by hunters. The true reason for the targeting of these animals likely arises from complaints of local farmers that their crops are being compromised.
Advocates have sought to block the ongoing cull and potential future efforts through appeals to EU Parliament. They argue that the sheep should be relocated to the Italian mainland and perhaps even granted protected status. Sign the petition below to urge leaders to choose these life-saving approaches over needless slaughter.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Camfin,
The European biodiversity initiative should be an avenue for preserving and protecting at-risk animals, not ending their lives. The mouflon sheep of Giglio arrived on the island through no fault of their own, and they have peacefully lived on these lands for several decades. They should not be the target of a widespread cull meant to appease farmers that is disguised as conservation.
Please heed the calls of true conservationists who want to save these animals. If mouflon sheep cannot remain on Giglio, relocate them to a new home. And grant these animals legal protections that will safeguard them from systemic slaughter.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Jorg Hempel
Do the same to that cowardly bastard!
All animal abusers must heva the mandatoty deatyh penalty implemented and nothing less.
These animals are rare! Im surprised that they wont be sent back to their natural home! They should at least take DNA samples from them, before killing them. I would like to see them shipped back to their native homeland. Farm animals get shipped. Why not these animals? Would it be possible with a fundraiser? Someone should try it!