Poisoning suspected in deaths of 18 wolves in Italian national park

Stefano Ciafani, head of environmental group Legambiente, described the 18 wolf deaths as an unprecedented attack on protected wildlife and warned that other animals could come under attack, including the Marsican brown bear (about 50 remaining).

EU data show a 35% increase in wolf populations to about 23,000 from 2016 to 2023, with Italy's population estimated at around 3,300 in 2020-21. The change in status to 'protected' has paved the way for a limited cull of 160 wolves to be allowed in Italy annually from 2026.

Italy's Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Ispra) warned that killing wolves most likely by poisoning calls into question significant advances in animal protection and conservation, and warned that poisoned bait poses concrete risks to other protected wild species, domestic pets, and public safety.

Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin condemned the killings as horrendous and serious, noting that the protection of wolves is crucial to the balance of the ecosystem.

Tests carried out by the local animal health research institute IZS corroborated the initial poisoning suspicions. Thirteen of the dead wolves were taken to the IZS facility in Teramo, which found the presence of pesticides used in poisoned bait for animals.

Following intensified patrols, eight additional wolf carcasses were found in the same national park, bringing the total to 18.

Park authorities reported the discovery of 10 wolf carcasses in the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park. They said traces of suspected poisoned bait were found in the area where five wolves had been located, and noted that this raised very strong suspicion of further poisoning. Authorities were collaborating with local public prosecutors to determine the cause of death.