Last Saturday, Pilar Carballo found what no livestock ever wants to find: part of his massacred flock. Seven palm sheep (they do not exceed the hundred specimens throughout the Canary Islands) and three hair sheep (less than 3,000 copies), both native breeds in serious danger of extinction, were found dead in their ecological farm, the Jara estate, in the Altos de Arafo.
“On Monday morning, I was with giraffe, a sheep that I love. It has been my great companion. I remember that I always hit me with the leg to give him a drear. After the attack, he died in my arms. It’s the first time I saw a sheep cry,” says Pilar Carballo.
The livestock manages a small agroganadera exploitation dedicated to the conservation of these unique races, with a flock of 36 of these, along with Camperas, hives, ecological vineyards and fruit and vegetable orchards. “This work should be done by the administration, not me. This is part of our environment protection. But the perception we have is that we do not care about ours. And it is being lost,” he denounces.
The attack, quite possibly perpetrated by careless dogs, which could be abandoned, has not only left economic losses. According to Pilar, the strongest blow has been to the genetic heritage of the Canary Islands: “This flock was not mine. It was from the people. The Canary Islands government gave it to me with the mission of multiplying it.”
Palmeras sheep had been delivered in September by the Canarian Institute of Agricultural Research and a specialized association, as part of a recovery program. “All my sheep are loved by civilians. It is a community that takes care of them,” he explains.
A sentimental loss
Pilar is a president of Agrecan and active member of Red Livestock, a collective that defends extensive livestock and the rights of rural women. His work on the Jara estate has been recognized for his commitment to sustainability, the preservation of native breeds and responsible production.
“My flock took it out of only four sheep. The sentimental pain is huge. It is a very sacrificed job, and now, of those four I started, I have none left.”
The facts are already in the hands of the Civil Guard and the Local Police of Arafo. Pilar affirms that in the area they wander dogs without an apparent and possibly aslewood owner, who could have attacked people and even have killed five other sheep of the Ferrera wineries, near Pilar’s. “They have been seen 100 meters from my farm and many of my sheep running through the disporaid zone,” he says.
It is not the first time that Carballo suffers damage to his farm. During the 2023 fire he also suffered a hard wand: “I attacked the chickens and lost more than 40,” he recalls.
Beyond personal drama, Pilar launches a warning: “It is not just my economy, what has been diminished is the heritage of the Canary Islands. And you have to quantify this hard blow.”
“Protection of ours”
Its farm, which acts as a refuge, school and example of good agroecological management, is also a reference point in the defense of local races. “Our farm is a reference in the dissemination of this type of breeds. But if there is no real protection of administrations or strengthened in the future, everything can be lost,” he says.
“If we do not protect what ours is, the native, what do we have left?” He certifies.
