Wolf sightings rise in Italy after suspected attacks

Reports of wolf sightings are on the rise in Italy, with five suspected attacks recorded in Puglia, where several people have been injured.

On 20 August, three tourists, including a 52-year-old woman and her 12-year-old daughter, were attacked by an animal believed to be a wolf while staying at tourist accommodation in Punta Pizzo, near Gallipoli. All three were taken to hospital, with the woman and girl later discharged with a prognosis of 14 days.

According to initial reports, the animal first targeted a small dog at the property before attacking the tourists. The Carabinieri, with the support of vets from the local health authority, are investigating to identify the animal and establish whether it was a wolf.

Other suspected attacks have involved minors, with three children injured since the beginning of August. The latest occurred on 15 August in Noicattaro, near Bari, when a six-year-old boy was bitten by an animal believed to be a wolf.

The boy suffered chest injuries and was admitted to the paediatric surgery ward of the Giovanni XXIII hospital.

The attack happened while the boy and his family were in a municipal park. The animal reportedly attacked the child at around 11 p.m. before being driven away by the screams of adults.

Initial reports suggested the animal was a stray dog, but the mayor of Noicattaro, Raimondo Innamorato, rejected that theory, while images of the suspected wolf, spotted a few hours after the attack, circulated on social media.

The Bari Prefecture and Puglia regional authorities have set up a task force to identify the animal using drones, thermal cameras and capture snares. Regional president Antonio Decaro has authorised its capture and removal.

Possible wolves have also been reported in the Brindisi area, where a French bulldog and two emus have been killed.

Sightings also reported in Riccione and Umbria

Sightings are not confined to southern Italy. In Riccione, in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, residents have reported seeing a wolf roaming in the city.

The local authority has ordered the night-time closure of three parks until 3 September while attempts are made to drive the animal away. Residents have been urged not to leave organic waste outside bins or pet food outside their homes, and to keep areas near houses clear of vegetation.

In Umbria, searches are also continuing for a wolf that attacked a four-year-old girl in Arrone on 9 July.

How many wolves are there in Italy?

Italy is estimated to have around 3,300 wolves, according to the first national survey by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), carried out in 2020-21. About 950 were estimated to live in the Alpine regions, with around 2,400 in the rest of mainland Italy.

The population has grown substantially in recent decades. The grey wolf (Canis lupus) came close to disappearing from Italy in the 1970s, when fewer than 100 animals were believed to remain, largely in the Apennines.

Legal protection and conservation measures in Italy and across Europe have since helped wolf populations recover.

Between 2012 and 2022, wolf numbers across Europe rose from around 12,000 to more than 21,000, an increase of 58%, according to a study covering 34 European countries.

As the population has recovered, attacks on livestock have increased. According to a 2022 study, wolves kill tens of thousands of farm animals across Europe each year, mainly sheep.

Attacks on humans, by contrast, remain rare. According to WWF, there have been no recorded fatal wolf attacks on humans in Europe in the 21st century.

The wolf's protection status in the EU has also been downgraded from “strictly protected” to “protected”, giving member states greater flexibility to manage growing populations while requiring them to maintain the species at a favourable conservation status.