- The endangered forest has been discovered in recent days in the natural space of Larra and Aztaparreta, in the parking of the ski resort of the La Contienda de Belagua valley. This strange conduct has aroused concern among biologists, as it may be due to this year’s hot winters. Basoilarra is almost a fossil witness to the last period of ice, and his visit could be indicative of climate change and ecosystem loss, what message does it give to humans?
There is hardly any rooster left in the mountains of the Basque Country. The last specimens were observed in the Navarros, near Larra and Belagua, while in the more abundant Aragonese Pyrenees, 40% of the pre-existing areas have disappeared in recent years, according to a study carried out in 2022.
During these days, the rooster has approached to the parking lot of La Contiena in Belagua, near the human being and with a strange behavior, without making impositions to be frightened. This has generated amazement and concern, as the rooster is a very vulnerable bird, which is often hidden among black pines and far from the places where man lives.
According to experts, this behavior may be due to winter weather, where snow has disappeared below 2,000 meters in the Pyrenees. Biologist Gabi Berasategi told Euskalerria Irratia this: "The Aemet agency itself said that this January it resembled March and surely has harmed its behavior and way of life."
It has lasted for thousands of years among us, but now we are about to disappear, not only because of the atypical heat of this winter, but also because of the deterioration of its ecosystem by adding it.
The rooster has entered heat faster than normal, and as no females have appeared in his field, he has left out of his fields to attract them, approaching the public, which is the behavior of several species at some point. Thus, skiers and mountaineers who were in the vicinity of Monte Arles and the ski resort of La Contienda have been able to hear their curious song.
This has posed a great risk to the special galliform, which can measure 70 centimeters, the largest bird in the forest. With the presence of the man, like the screams and the dog bark, the rooster is very stressed, and can lose energy and a lot of strength, when it is still winter. Forest guards set in motion an operation to protect and, if possible, bring to their usual place.
They ask the public if they see that they do not come close, that they do not photograph and warn the forest guards as soon as possible.
Due to the good weather for the coming days, the #Larra #Belagua #LaContienda area is expected to be very busy. We would therefore like to recall the need to respect the environment. #Basoilar pic.twitter.com/B03M2mlD7Q
— Guardas Forestal / Guarderío de Medio Ambiente (@Guardas_na) January 26, 2024
Berasategi has taken the news with concern and stressed that we are putting a "very difficult" life on this type of species: the exploitation and barriers of its forests, the processes of nature itself and other mountain activities such as ski slopes, tourism... "It's caused the fragmentation of its ecosystem," he says.
The subspecies of the rooster living in the Pyrenees is a direct witness to the last glacier, it has lasted for thousands of years among us, but we have now set it to disappear. Not only because of the extraordinary heat of this winter, but also because of the deterioration of its ecosystem.
Basoilarra has not found anyone in his field, but he cannot go to other scenarios. As excellent bioindicators, it is also a mirror of our future. Does that tell us?