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Wolf Population in Italy Faces Threat from Rodent Poison: In recent decades, Italy has seen its wolf population grow, with wolves venturing closer to urban areas enticed by prey like rats and mice.
Wolf Population in Italy Faces Threat from Rodent Poison
However, a recent study reveals a potential danger to these predators: consuming poisoned rodents. Analyzing over 180 wolf carcasses in Central and Northern Italy, the study found that nearly two-thirds tested positive for rodenticides, highlighting a greater risk to wolves than previously known.
The results were totally unexpected,” says ecologist Jacopo Cerri of the University of Sassari, an author of the study. The findings also suggest Italian wolves “have a more complex ecology and diet than previously imagined,”
He said.
Over the last 40 years, Italy has witnessed a surge in its wolf population, reaching over 3000, causing concern among farmers and hunters who view them as threats to livestock and game. Some wolves have adapted to urban life, feasting on rodents, including the invasive coypu or nutria. However, people often resort to chemical poisons, sometimes illegally, to control these pests.
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While researchers have known that rodenticides can move up the food chain, causing harm to unintended predators, the threat to wolves in Italy and Europe hadn’t been systematically studied. To address this gap, a team of researchers from various universities conducted toxicological examinations on dead wolves, revealing alarming results.
Published online in Science of the Total Environment, the study found that 61.8% of 186 wolf carcasses tested from 2018 to 2022 carried traces of at least one poison, with 42% showing traces of two or more. Although the cause of death couldn’t be determined, some wolves displayed signs of internal bleeding, a rodenticide effect. Statistical analysis indicated that wolves near urban areas faced a higher risk.
Biologist Sofi Hindmarch, not part of the study, praised its sample size and suggested further research on the wolves’ diet to understand exposure pathways better. The authors recommend extending such studies beyond Italy, emphasizing the need for European countries to reconsider rodent control laws, prioritizing wildlife-friendly methods over poisons when feasible.
Also Read: Wolf Population in Italy Faces Threat from Rodent Poison
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