Cyprus-Forum.com

[Jerry]

Interesting report in The Independent today:-


http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 36061.html

[Tim Drayton]

A quote from the article:

In Variseia, one of the crumbling abandoned villages inside the Green Line 200 mouflon have settled happily.

200 mouflon living in the wild somewhere? If only that were true. Methinks Mr Sven Gunnar Simonsen hasn't done his homework very well.

[askimwos]

Tim, there are even larger pockets of mufflon population in Paphos forest. In some areas their numbers have increased in such an extent that the Forests Department started controling their numbers by issuing the odd hunting licence under very stict rules. Those licences are valid for only one kill and the hunter are escorted by forest rangers.

[denizaksulu]

Does anyone here believe in re-incarnation?

[Tim Drayton]

Tim, there are even larger pockets of mufflon population in Paphos forest. In some areas their numbers have increased in such an extent that the Forests Department started controling their numbers by issuing the odd hunting licence under very stict rules. Those licences are valid for only one kill and the hunter are escorted by forest rangers.

I thought these were numbered in dozens rather than hundreds. Maybe I haven't done my homework. Perhaps there has been an explosion in the wild mouflon population over the past few years. Glad to hear it if that is so.

[denizaksulu]

Methinks, the buffer zone can expect a visitation from our roving scientist Oracle soon with her latest digital cum slr camera with telephoto lense. It is good news though. From previous posts I thought they were confined to the Troodos and nearly extinct. Randy devils.

[Oracle]

I read that article yesterday and thought it was extremely short sighted and provocative for all the wrong reasons.

The Mouflon are recovering because the RoC has taken extreme measures to help their numbers increase and they are seen more frequently, than I can ever recall in the past.

The best news would be if the whole of the north is depopulated of Turks ... then the indigenous wildlife can return to its natural habitat!

[BOF]

Well pray do enlighten us then dear Oracle of Delphi......
I hope the flora and fauna there contained have a better future than the Natura 2000 sites............

[Oracle]

Of course the two SBAs need to go pretty fast, as well, and then we might see the type of recovery enjoyed in the Akamas since the Brits stopped blasting, shooting and bombing every nook and cranny of snakes, birds and bulbs ...

[denizaksulu]

I read that article yesterday and thought it was extremely short sighted and provocative for all the wrong reasons.

The Mouflon are recovering because the RoC has taken extreme measures to help their numbers increase and they are seen more frequently, than I can ever recall in the past.

The best news would be if the whole of the north is depopulated of Turks ... then the indigenous wildlife can return to its natural habitat!

I was led to believe the natural habitat was the Troodos - even before the strife of 1974. I think the Mouflon are seeking refuge from the inhabitants and the prying eyes in the RoC.


BTW. We should add the Mouflon as an emblem on a redsigned flag to show the tenacity of ALL Cypriotes.