Anacapri, controversy erupts over the goats on Monte Solaro: "There are too many, the vegetation is at risk."

Capri and its goats, an ancient coexistence that has now become an environmental issue. On Mount Solaro, in Anacapri, the animals' ever-increasing presence is fueling a debate between those denouncing the damage to the vegetation and those calling for action without jeopardizing the goats' protection.

Goats have been part of the island's history for centuries. But in recent years, their presence has increased significantly. According to the reconstruction reported by Repubblica Napoli, some of the animals arrived on the island during the filming of Capri-Revolution, the 2018 film directed by Mario Martone. Some animals, used in the film's production, subsequently remained on Mount Solaro.

Since then, according to reports, the population has multiplied, with increasingly evident consequences for the environment.

Damaged vegetation and dry stone walls at risk

The alarm was also raised by Naples Attorney General Aldo Policastro, a frequent visitor to Anacapri, who described a situation that is now difficult to ignore.

The problem, according to Policastro, mainly concerns the pressure exerted by animals on the Monte Solaro ecosystem: grazed vegetation, bare shrubs, young plants that are unable to develop, and species such as broom and cistus subjected to strong pressure.

Also of concern is the condition of some dry stone walls and rocks, which may have been damaged by the animals, with the risk of them falling and rolling downhill.

The goal, it is emphasized, is not to demonize goats, but to find a solution before the environmental impact becomes irreversible.

The proliferation issue

The issue of the growing goat population is not new. The Naples Veterinary Authority (ASL) 1 Centro had already planned to sterilize male goats to curb uncontrolled reproduction.

However, according to the complaint, this intervention has not produced sufficient results. Hence the request to expedite sterilization operations and address the problem with a structural strategy.

The position of the Municipality of Anacapri

Over the years, the municipal administration has also found itself having to manage a particularly delicate issue: on the one hand, the need to protect the environment and vegetation of Monte Solaro, and on the other, the need to ensure the well-being of the animals.

In July 2023, 22 goats were found dead under a tree. After a complaint from Campania animal rights groups, an autopsy was performed, which revealed that the animals had been electrocuted by lightning that had struck the tree.

The mayor of Anacapri, Franco Cerrotta, had also opposed the transfer of the goats to the mainland, also in light of a petition that had collected over 5 signatures opposing the animals' deportation.

Animal rights activists: "The solution is sterilization."

Stella Cervasio, president of an animal rights association and former animal rights commissioner for the City of Naples, intervened in the case, clarifying the meaning of Policastro's words.

"It was absolutely not his intention to induce the competent authorities to take measures contrary to animal protection and welfare," he explained, after speaking with the Attorney General.

The animal rights associations' proposal is clear: to focus on sterilizing males, a measure already identified by veterinary authorities.

According to Animal Day Aps, the intervention should be carried out quickly, considering the risk of very rapid growth of the goat population.

No to hunting and to the drastic "solution"

Animal rights activists also warn against the possibility of intervention through hunting.

The association urges against drastic measures and announces legal action if measures deemed harmful to animal welfare are adopted.

Another question remains: the origin of the non-native goats introduced to the island. According to Cervasio, it would be necessary to determine who was responsible for the introduction and how.

Between environment and animal protection

The case of the Capri goats thus brings together two needs that must necessarily coexist on the island: the protection of a fragile ecosystem and the protection of the animals.

The challenge for institutions and veterinary authorities will be to find a solution capable of containing the proliferation without transforming the environmental emergency into an animal welfare problem.

Mount Solaro, with its natural and landscape heritage, remains at the center of the dispute. And the goats, once a historic feature of the Capri landscape, have unwittingly become the symbol of an increasingly difficult balance to preserve.