The wolf between false myths and reality

"The Wolf, Between False Myths and Reality." This is the title of the Conference-Dialogue that will be hosted on Friday, March 13th at 9:00 PM at Palazzo Volta, home of the Fondazione Ecomuseo della Pietra da Cantoni in Cella Monte. The meeting, promoted by PAN (Pro Natura Animali), will feature Roberto Piana (PAN vice president) and Piero Belletti (General Secretary of the Pro Natura National Federation), with an introduction by Ecomuseum President Corrado Calvo. "Extinct since the early 20th century in much of Italy, the wolf has survived in two small areas in central and southern Italy," the speakers anticipate. "In the 1970s, there were approximately 100 wolves spread across Abruzzo (Maiella and Gran Sasso) and Calabria (Sila), equal to less than 4% of the current population. In 1971, a Ministerial Decree declared them non-harmful, and the period of protection began. With Law No. 968/1977, the wolf was included among the particularly protected species, and this protection was confirmed with the current Law No. 157/1992. Favoured by the depopulation of Since the return of the fauna, over the years the species has expanded its range, first ascending the Apennines and then the Alps, recolonizing the Alpine region. The return of the wolf has encountered two major opponents: farmers, forced to change their centuries-old habits of mismanagement of the animals, and hunters, who see the wolf as a dangerous competitor. "A campaign to criminalize the species is still ongoing, punctuated by false reports. This has led to the downgrading of the wolf (Canis lupus) from particularly protected to protected in Europe, paving the way for "management," a euphemism that still involves killing it," the organizers continue. "The clear objective of the anti-wolf campaign is to alarm the population by spreading often exaggerated or false reports, aimed at highlighting the species' danger to humans." But is the wolf really dangerous to humans? How did it manage to recolonize the environments from which it had been expelled? Is it possible? Coexistence with this predator at the top of the food chain? What are the correct behaviors citizens should know to prevent conflicts with wolves? All this will be discussed on Friday evening in Cella Monte. Free admission.