His Albanian name is Ali, but the Greeks call him Alexis. He comes from Librazhd of Albania and has been living in Greece for 18 years, most of which at the estuary of the Aliakmonas river, where he grazes sheep. He works in the heart of a biotope under conditions of absolute wilderness and solitude, away from people but close to birds and other wildlife.

Into the unspoiled nature

The shepherd is holding newborn sheep in his arms and flamingos are flying in dense formations above him. Enormous pelicans are flying very close to him and snakes are drinking water from the river. He's not paying attention to the magical images unfolding around him though. He only cares about his daily wage, on which he depends upon to support his family in Albania.

He also wishes that time would pass a little more quickly, so he can get out of the merciless summer sun. Shaded areas next to the river are few, so he sits under small trees and bushes.

He never has fun or goes out for entertainment. He doesn’t even go to the local tavern. He ius, however, kind and he smiles after each phrase. He is always available for conversation and uses kind words to talk about his boss. When we asked him how he is faring in the out in the wild, he said: “How should I be doing? Hot, it's very hot.”

TEXT-PHOTOS: George Zafeiropoulos
SOURCE: www.greecewithin.com

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Wildlife at Aliakmonas’ estuary.

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