A young wolf risked drowning after being stuck for several hours inside a canal in the Massalengo area, in the province of Lodi. The animal, unable to climb up the concrete walls of the canal, found the only possible hold in a metal ladder, to which it remained clinging until help arrived.
The episode occurred in the Vigana canal, in the Motta Vigana area. The alarm was raised on the morning of Sunday 20 September, when the wolf was spotted in difficulty inside the artificial watercourse. According to a first reconstruction, the young specimen may have ended up in the canal while chasing a possible prey, perhaps a nutria, without then being able to find a way out.
The shape of the canal made it particularly difficult for the animal to escape: the vertical concrete walls offered no support points and the current risked dragging it along. After many hours spent in the water, the wolf was now weakened, but managed to resist by holding onto the metal structure.
The Lodi Fire Brigade, the Provincial Police, the veterinarians of the ATS service and the Muzza Consortium intervened on site, which temporarily decreased the level of the water flow to allow safe operations. A specialized team from Piacenza was also involved in the recovery.
One of the rescuers entered the canal and, using the necessary equipment, managed to secure the wolf through a specially designed capture system. After sedation carried out by the vet, the animal was recovered and transported without suffering any further trauma.
The wolf, a young male, was transferred to the Monte Adone Exotic and Wild Fauna Protection and Research Centre, near Sasso Marconi, on the Bolognese Apennines. The facility will carry out health checks to verify the state of health of the specimen and establish the most suitable path, including the possibility of a future return to freedom.
The precise dynamics of the accident still remain to be clarified. Artificial canals often represent a trap for wildlife: once inside, many animals are unable to overcome the smooth and steep walls and can remain trapped until exhaustion. In this case, the timely intervention of the rescuers avoided a dramatic epilogue for the young wolf.
