Sheep browsing on the lagoon, whilst the shepherd watches on them from his truck.

Last Thursday at dusk, the birds at the Oropos lagoon encountered a nasty surprise. A folk of a few hundred sheep grazed on the lagoon;s vegetation, tramping on their nests. Some terns were flying around shouting, trying to drive out the invaders.

The shepherd was watching from his truck, which tramped and destroyed everything under its tyres, as his aides directed the folk on foot.

The forestry office assured us by phone that the are is protected and grazing is not allowed. They told us that they would send the local ranger to see what’s going on.

Sheep grazing the marsh next to the schools.

The next morning, another, smaller flock of sheep was grazing in the protected area. Maybe, it could be futile to try to protect a “protected” area of such beauty.

Mowing the reeds, once more

The same day, Friday 27/9/2019, someone had just mowed any reeds had grown again at the same spot where they had been mowed begining April, a total area of about 2,600 sq. meters.

We do not know who was the perpetrator. The same morning, a Ford tractor of the Oropos Municipality coupled with a mower was in the area. We stopped the driver to inform him of the damage to the reeds. “It wasn’t me”, he told us and continued “In any case the Forestry Office contacted me the other time.”

Sure, someone of the dwellers of the 4 houses, in front of which the reeds are cut, should have seen who did it. Maybe they can help the Forestry Office with its investigations.