More than 150 volunteers have signed up for the Wwf’s traditional “rutting call” census of the Sardinian deer in the Monte Arcosu Reserve, the heart of the Gutturu-Mannu Regional Park. All available spots are already filled for the two monitoring evenings scheduled for Friday, September 12, and Saturday, September 13, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Listening to the mating calls of adult males becomes a scientific tool to assess the health of the population.
The initiative is part of the “Wwf Oasis of the Deer and the Moon” project, supported by Domus de Luna in collaboration with the Universities of Sassari and Cagliari. Participants, all over 18 and not necessarily experts, will be guided by Wwf operators at designated listening points, using a dedicated app developed with the Casentinesi Forests National Park to collect data in a standardized and comparable way.
From Near Extinction to Repopulation
The rutting call census is one of the most effective methods for monitoring the rare subspecies Cervus elaphus corsicanus, a symbol of Mediterranean wildlife. In the late 1960s, only about 100 individuals survived in Sardinia, heavily reduced by poaching and concentrated in Monte Arcosu. With the “Sardinian Deer Operation”, launched by Wwf in 1967, and the purchase of the reserve in 1985 through an international fundraising campaign, the species’ recovery began.
Today, more than 2,000 deer live in Monte Arcosu alone, while the island’s total population exceeds 10,000 individuals. Sardinia has even contributed to the repopulation of Corsica, where the subspecies went extinct in 1970.
A Winning Conservation Strategy
According to Antonio Canu, Wwf delegate for Sardinia, the project’s success stems from a strategy that combined clear objectives, effective communication, and broad participation from public bodies, private entities, and citizens. “It proves we must never give up,” he said, “even in a land like Sardinia, where much still needs to be done.”
The strong response from volunteers highlights how citizen science can strengthen long-term conservation, ensuring broader monitoring and shared management of results. This is the same philosophy guiding activities at the Monte Arcosu Oasis: from anti-poaching efforts to habitat improvement, from wildlife monitoring to training in collaboration with universities and local communities.