“A massacre”: 18 wolves found poisoned in a few days in an Italian natural park

This April 22 was a symbolic day for the environment: Earth Day. But in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park in central Italy, three wolves were found dead from poisoning near the village of Pescasseroli, the park reports. “It is impossible not to feel the bitterness of this coincidence, while we continue to record deaths in one of the most emblematic sites of nature conservation,” notes the national park in a press release.

Indeed, this discovery joins others of the same type which have multiplied in recent days in this mountain area protected for more than a century. A few days ago, four wolf carcasses were discovered in another area of ​​the park, alongside the corpses of foxes and a buzzard. Another dead wolf was found not far away, in Barrea. In total, 18 specimens were discovered dead in the area in one week, according to WWF Italy.

Traces of pesticides used in agricultural bait

The Sulmona public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation against X after these macabre discoveries. For the moment, the poisoning trail seems favored “although no bait or poisoned object has been found at this stage”, indicates the Abruzzo National Park.

Analyzes of 13 carcasses showed the presence of “traces of pesticides used in agriculture in poisoned bait intended for animals,” notes the National Animal Protection Agency (ENPA), cited by the Sky TG24 news channel. “We continue to hope that there will be no further bad news,” the park added in its press release.

According to WWF, these serial poisonings could threaten other wild animals in the park, including the iconic Marsican brown bear. Considered a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this bear is only represented by a few dozen individuals in the area, recalls the NGO.

Questions around regulation

“I consider the massacre of 18 wolves and other wild animals in the Abruzzo National Park to be a horrible and serious act,” responded Italian Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, assuring his support for the protection of the wolf, “an animal species essential to the balance of our ecosystem.

The wolf is considered a “specifically protected species” in Italy but, as in France, benefits from regulation. The Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) has a plan that foresees the killing of up to 160 wolves each year in Italy, including 9 in the Abruzzo region. After the discoveries of recent days, ENPA is calling for the legal slaughter plan to be abolished, as the quotas are “already exceeded” by poaching. 34 wolves died during the first two months of the year, estimates the Italian Wolf Observatory.

At the beginning of April, two wolves were found decapitated on the side of a road near Pisa (Tuscany), sparking national emotion.