Parks for the protection of the deer of Rhodes, which according to a record of the University of Thessaloniki amount to 6,284, are to be built on the island.

The platoon of Rhodes (Dama dama) has been considered a symbol of the island for many years and is one of the few deer species in Europe that have survived to this day. In fact, until a few decades ago it was an endangered species.

It is one of the three deer species of Greece along with the red deer and the roe deer.

Five hospitality parks on the island

“Will be created five parks hosting deer in Rhodes, according to a joint decision taken by the Ministry of the Environment, the South Aegean region and the municipality of Rhodes in order to protect the animal population and save the primary sector from the damage they cause” he points out in his statements to APE- Deputy Governor of the Primary Sector Filimonas Zannetidis, MP.

The proposal for the theme parks has been submitted by the Ministry of the Environment and has been accepted with satisfaction by the South Aegean region and the municipality of Rhodes because it will be a substantial intervention, emphasizes Mr. Zannetidis.

The regions in which the parks will be located, will be announced in the near future, but according to the information, they will include areas in the area of ​​the Gadoura Dam, in South Rhodes, in Psinthos or Apollo and elsewhere.

However, while the study by the University of Thessaloniki raises the number of deer on the island to 6,284the estimates of the locals are that the real number is much higher, perhaps even more than double.

As announced by the Deputy Regional Governor for the Primary Sector, Mr. Philimonas Zannetidis, there was a meeting between him and the responsible Deputy Mayor of Rhodes, Thomas Kostas, with the Minister of the Environment in Athens, in which the presidents of Apollon and Gennadiou, Makis Lagogiannis and Stavros Akkouris, respectively, as well as the Deputy Minister of Shipping and Insular Policy, Yiannis Pappas, where the issue that concerns Rhodes and concerns the overpopulation of deer and stray and unsupervised sheep and goats was discussed.

“We agreed on the creation of five parks on the island, in order to be in these deer, to be fed and watered, to be visited in an environmentally friendly manneroffering jobs, as befits, ecologically so that the life of the deer, this emblematic animal of Rhodes, can continue unhindered,” said Mr. Zannetidis to APE-MPE.

As underlined by the deputy governor of the Primary Sector, the goal of self-government (municipality and region) is to protection of the deer. These images with many must stop traffic police accidents, deaths in the nets, while priority, as the island’s economy said, our farmers and ranchers who are affected.

As far as the stray goats are concerned, as he made it known, the minister asked for the assistance of the local government there as well. In addition to strengthening the institutional framework, the municipality’s codes will be strengthened, in order to develop more crews to arrest them on the island of Rhodes and this will be a guide for the other islands as well, so that then the strays are taken to the slaughterhouses and distributed to institutions.

In fact, he concluded, saying that the possibility of the Local Government having a role and signature in the granting of subsidies to those breeders who continue not to supervise their animals is being studied.