A campaign of apparent poisonings in one of Italy’s most important nature reserves prompts outrage and a criminal investigation.
The death toll of wolves found in a national park in central Italy has risen to at least 18 as searches by rangers and specialist units continue to uncover new casualties across multiple locations within the reserve.
Authorities at the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise – which is spread across the three central regions – announced the grim update on Wednesday.
The alarm began last week when 10 wolves were found dead in two separate locations within and around the national park, prompting the opening of a criminal investigation and an outcry from conservation organisations.
Rising death toll
Five carcasses were discovered in the Alfedena area of Abruzzo, where remains consistent with poisoned bait were found, while a further five had been found dead near Pescasseroli, in the same region, days earlier.
Park authorities announced on Wednesday evening that three further wolves were subsequently found at Pescasseroli in a different area from the initial discovery.
A new cluster was then identified at Bisegna where four more wolves, three foxes and a buzzard were found dead in the same vicinity, while another dead wolf was found in nearby Barrea.
The total number of wolves killed now stands at 18, with the latest victims found between Pescasseroli, Bisegna and Barrea, all in the L’Aquila province of Abruzzo.
Poisoning
The park has stated that whilst poisoned bait has not been found at every site, the simultaneous deaths of multiple species in the same locations strongly reinforces suspicion of deliberate poisoning across several distinct incidents.
The park described the situation as extremely serious, stating that wildlife authorities are coordinating with the prosecutor’s office, both to establish causes of death and to secure the affected areas.
High risks
Conservation experts have warned that the use of poisoned bait is among the gravest threats to ecosystems, acting indiscriminately and potentially claiming dozens of animals – large and small – from a single carcass, often without ever being found.
The situation is particularly alarming given the presence within the park of the Marsican brown bear, one of the rarest and most endangered large mammals in the world.
Downgraded protected status
WWF Italia has described the events as one of the most serious wildlife crimes in Italy in a decade, linking the killings to a broader pattern of illegal persecution of wolves and warning that a recent political downgrading of the wolf’s protected status – supported by the EU, the Bern Convention signatory states, and the Italian government – risks legitimising and encouraging illegal behaviour.
The organisation also stated its intention to join the case as a civil party in any subsequent trial.
The park’s statement – issued on Earth Day – noted the bitter coincidence of the timing, calling on citizens and communities to take collective responsibility for the natural world.
