Eighteen wolves have been found dead in an Italian national park within a week in a suspected series of poisonings, described by conservationists as the most serious crimes against wildlife in Italy in a decade.
Discovery of Carcasses
Authorities of the national park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise reported that eight wolves were found dead in recent days in three different areas of the vast park, adding to ten carcasses discovered the previous week. Additionally, three dead foxes and a buzzard were also found.
"The disappointment blends with despair ... It's a pain that ranges from profound suffering to disbelief," the national park's authorities said in a statement. "We hope that we don't have to deal with further bad news. We repeat once again that whatever the motivation, illegality and crime cannot be justified in any way."
Criminal Investigation
A criminal investigation began last week after suspected poisoned bait was found by park rangers near five dead wolves in the Alfedena area, leading to suspicions that five other wolves found in Pescasseroli died in the same way. Tests are being conducted to determine the cause of death, but park authorities said the simultaneous deaths of other animal species strongly suggest deliberate poisoning.
The situation is especially concerning given the presence of the Marsican bear, a critically endangered subspecies of the brown bear, across the Apennine mountains of the national park.
Luciano D'Angelo, the prosecutor leading the investigation, told Corriere della Sera: "Bears and wolves are symbols of this area and we do not take their killings lightly. Initial investigations tell us it was poison, but we'll know later exactly what it was."
Reactions from Conservation Groups
The Italian unit of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) called the suspected wolf killings the "most serious crimes against wildlife of the last 10 years" and an "unacceptable criminal trend in a civilised country."
"We've reached 18 [wolves] illegally killed within just a few days," the organisation said. "This continued massacre strikes at the heart of our natural heritage. Spreading poison to target an iconic species like the wolf is a cowardly and criminal act against biodiversity and an attack on public safety – it's 2026 and these acts cannot go unpunished."
EU Policy Changes Blamed
WWF Italy partly blames the deaths on the European Union's decision last year to downgrade the wolf's status from "strictly protected" to "protected," a move mainly aimed at allowing easier culling and management of growing populations. The downgrade came after pressure from farmers due to an increase in attacks on livestock, and was strongly backed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose beloved family pony, Dolly, was killed by a wolf.
There are an estimated 20,000 wild wolves across EU countries, with the majority in Italy, followed by Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, and Spain.
Historical Context
In Italy, hunting wolves was once actively encouraged when they were classified as "harmful pests." However, in the 1970s, when their population nearly became extinct, the Italian government passed a law granting them official protection and banning wolf hunting.
