Sardinia is a “universe”. Its fauna tells of a paradise where men are surrounded by species that find an ideal habitat in the Island, an enchanted place to thrive or return to live. This is the common thread of the series “I personaggi della natura”, seven volumes coming out for Ilisso and dedicated to the fauna of Sardinia, edited by the naturalist photographer and writer Domenico Ruiu, distributed from April 12 with L'Unione Sarda.

Each volume will be monothematic and will describe a typical species of the Island, a story that will examine various aspects, from the description to the situation in Sardinia (distribution, risk factors, conservation) and then continue with observations and photographs, the story of traditions and legends, up to numerous external contributions with insights, notebooks of the photographers themselves or other authors who want to testify an emotion linked to the eagle or the Sardinian mouflon. The volumes will therefore be divided into seven stories that have as protagonists the golden eagle, the barn owl, the Giara di Gesturi (territorial pretext to talk about the mythical horses), the Sardinian deer, the pink flamingo, the griffon vulture and the Sardinian mouflon. Each issue will be monographic and will tell the world of these species that perhaps best represent the environment of the Island, also because these are animals that have never, or almost never, abandoned Sardinia despite having experienced difficult times with a fairly high risk of extinction in some periods. Resilience, however, was there and today we can tell their new story.

The Flamingos (April 12)

The first volume is dedicated to the flamingo. The story of the king of the lagoons, from Molentargius and Santa Gilla to the ponds of Oristano and the wetlands of much of Sardinia, is instead entrusted to the ornithologists Sergio Nissardi and Carla Zucca, and to the doctor (discoverer of a syndrome that today is called by his surname) Giangiorgio Crisponi, a photographer capable, as Domenico Ruiu says, of "pure poetry" with his images of flamingos. The editor of the volumes, moreover, in his contribution, tells "The pink flamingo in Sardinia between poetry, history and legend" through the rhymes of the poet and writer from Oristano Peppetto Pau.

Cavallini and Giara (April 19)

The second volume tells the story of the little horses that are now tied to their geographic habitat, the Giara di Gesturi. Domenico Ruiu (also curator of the entire series) and Giuseppe Sedda tell about decades of images and observations dedicated to this species. The beauty of the landscapes, in this volume, marries the rites of the inhabitants of the territory. The contributions were edited by Emanuele Farris, botanist of the University of Sassari, on the Giara and its flora, and by Alessandro Carboni who tells his extraordinary experience on “Wild horses and snow”. Finally, Domenico Ruiu talks, in the chapter “With the Giara in the heart”, about the exciting story of the photographer Gianfranco Fois and the last shepherds who live on the Giara.

Barn Owl (April 26)

Not everyone knows that the barn owl is one of the most mentioned birds in Sardinia: “s'istria” is mentioned in proverbs, stories, and popular traditions. In the volume dedicated to this species, which represents a national editorial novelty, the texts were edited by the authors Bobore Frau and Edoardo Simula, nature photographers and environmental guides, who tell the story of a bird threatened by poaching and whose survival has often been in danger. Furthermore, the aspects linked to popular culture are also discussed, which identified s'istria as the bird of ill omen. The first chapter was entrusted to a very well-known photographer: Marco Colombo. “Men and mice”, the title of his introduction, tells the message that is launched in the volume: this species is specialized in catching rats and Colombo asks himself, with a metaphorical question, which side one chooses to be on (with men or with mice, precisely).

The Griffin (May 3)

This species is the only one, among the vultures, to have never abandoned Sardinia, despite having risked extinction at the end of the last century. In the sixth volume, edited together with Domenico Ruiu, Marco Muzzeddu, head of the Bonassai Wildlife Recovery Center, will deal with griffon vultures, vultures and condors, unique animals present throughout the world. The activity of the Center will be illustrated in the book, and Muzzeddu will also tell the story of the griffon vulture in Sardinia from decline to rebirth. Ruiu will instead tell of the commitment of professionals and volunteers for the common cause of the defense of the griffon vulture and, in a chapter significantly called “Dear Griffon”, of his personal relationship with this vulture. The intervention of Dionigi Secci, an official of Forestas and head of the Life project dedicated to this species in Sardinia, tells the story of the return of this vulture in the Sarrabus-Gerrei.

The Mouflon (May 10)

The fifth volume of the Ilisso series will be dedicated to the mouflon and edited by Salvatore Naitana, former director of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Sassari, and Domenico Ruiu. The first will illustrate the characteristics and distribution of this ungulate on the Island, while Domenico Ruiu will tell, among other things, a story, linked to "forbidden" hunting and the overcoming of poaching in the countryside of Lula. Finally, Matteo Cara, Antonio Coccoda, Emilio Melis and Peppe Demurtas, will talk about their experience and the emotions experienced in the photography dedicated to the mouflon.

The Eagle (May 17)

The sixth volume of the series is edited by three nature photographers who have formed an association whose name is already a program: “Abilarjos”. Gianluca Doa, Matteo Faedda and Antonello Lai have taken photos dedicated to the golden eagle in Sardinia, a sort of obsession, starting from field observation and capturing this magnificent queen of the skies in various situations. A particularly significant chapter is dedicated to an Ispra project for marking golden eagle chicks in Sardinia with GPS, whose population has started to grow again in recent years. With a particular technique, a group of experts, according to a strict operational protocol, will apply a GPS signal to the backs of some eaglets, which will allow them to monitor their movements and interactions with other species, providing very important data on their behavior in the first years of life. Finally, Umberto Graziano (forester) deals with “Impact of power lines on avifauna”, Giovanni Manca with the presence of the “Golden Eagle in Gallura” and Giuseppe Peralta Biddau with the “Coexistence between the Golden Eagle and the Griffon Vulture”.

The Deer (May 24)

The last volume is dedicated to the Sardinian-Corsican deer. Andrea Murgia, head of “Wildlife” of the regional Department of the Environment, and Giovanni Paulis, nature photographer and environmental guide, will lead readers to discover the deer, recounting the decline of the species, until its disappearance from Corsica, where it was reintroduced with good results.

Andrea Murgia deals with this topic and also with its reintroduction in many parts of Sardinia, and then illustrates the project “Life One deer, two Islands”, relating to the collaboration between Sardinia and Corsica. Giovanni Paulis also talks about the emotion of photographing this species and the history of the Oasis of Monte Arcosu, the kingdom of the deer, while Domenico Ruiu recalls the figure of Antonello Monni, the true godfather of the purchase of that area by the WWF to dedicate it to the protection of the deer. Ruiu also writes about the presence of these majestic animals in Piscinas, where the beautiful dunes dominate.

The stories in the series will be intriguing and richly documented. Ilisso's usual editorial elegance, which gives lustre and enhances the images to the maximum, will do the rest.

© Riproduzione riservata