1,639 dead wolves recovered on the national territory between 2019 and 2023: it is a chilling figure that comes from a report drawn up by the association I am not afraid of the wolf which coordinated a complex work of collecting information through over 60 civic accesses addressed to health bodies, regional administrations, scientific institutes and environmental authorities. The curve is constantly growing, going from 210 cases in the first year to 449 in the last, a pace that is equivalent to more than one wolf a day.
The causes of death and the strong impact of human activities
The research divides deaths into four main categories. Deaths indirectly attributable to humans, such as road and rail accidents, represent approximately 60% of known cases. This is followed by undetermined causes, equal to 19%, which show the difficulty in precisely reconstructing the circumstances of death. Poaching accounts for approximately 12%, while natural causes constitute a minority. According to the president of the association, Daniele Ecotti, over 70% of the identified deaths still have a direct or indirect link with human activities and the real extent could be underestimated.
The need for a single national system
The regions recording the highest number of findings are Piedmont, Abruzzo and Emilia-Romagna, each with a total of between 266 and 280 cases. Marche, Tuscany and Umbria also show significant data. In other areas, however, the numbers fall below 60 cases in five years. This enormous territorial asymmetry cannot be explained only by ecological differences: it rather highlights discontinuous, incomplete and non-standardized data collection. Sometimes basic information such as sex, age, precise location or cause of death is missing, and in several cases the records are even conflicting.
The association highlights how Italy lacks a centralized database, uniform procedures and a method shared between entities. Without consistent monitoring, it is impossible to set credible management policies or correctly assess the conservation status of the species. Ecotti reiterates that monitoring is not a simple statistical exercise, but an essential tool for understanding the evolution of an ever-expanding population and for making public decisions based on real data. The report sent to the bodies and the Ministry of the Environment aims to be the first step towards a national standardization that cannot be postponed.
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