The Wolf Army
Still under construction... watch this space
Status on wolves in Italy :
The Italian Wolf (Canis lupus italicus) also known as the Apennine Wolf, is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy.
It was first described in 1921 and recognised as a distinct subspecies in 1999. Recently due to an increase in population, the subspecies has also been spotted in areas of Switzerland.
The wolves in Italy are thriving and protected by law since 1971 when there were only 100 wolves.
New estimates revealed that the wolf populations had exponentially doubled in recent years, with some wolves taking residence in the Alps, a region not inhabited by wolves for nearly a century. Current estimates indicate that there are 500 - 600 Italian wolves living in the wild. Italian Wolf populations are said to be growing at a rate of 7% annually.
Apart from the wolves in the wild great efforts is made to have them increase their numbers in specific conservation areas too:
-Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park- the wolf population in the park territory is estimated at 65-80 wolves.
- Monti Sibillini National Park-The information available up to now suggests a strong growth of the population: in fact, the number of registered packs has increased from 3 in 2003 to 5 or 6 in 2008.This species is regularly distributed over the park territory, and additional packs seem to be present in neighbouring areas.
-Appennino tosco-emiliano National Park-4 wolf packs with an average of 3 individuals per pack.They are evenly distributed across the park and it seems as though the population is increasing.
During recent years, Italian wolves have also established themselves in Southern France, particularly in the Parc National du Mercantour.
The Italian Wolf (Canis lupus italicus) also known as the Apennine Wolf, is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy.
It was first described in 1921 and recognised as a distinct subspecies in 1999. Recently due to an increase in population, the subspecies has also been spotted in areas of Switzerland.
The wolves in Italy are thriving and protected by law since 1971 when there were only 100 wolves.
New estimates revealed that the wolf populations had exponentially doubled in recent years, with some wolves taking residence in the Alps, a region not inhabited by wolves for nearly a century. Current estimates indicate that there are 500 - 600 Italian wolves living in the wild. Italian Wolf populations are said to be growing at a rate of 7% annually.
Apart from the wolves in the wild great efforts is made to have them increase their numbers in specific conservation areas too:
-Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park- the wolf population in the park territory is estimated at 65-80 wolves.
- Monti Sibillini National Park-The information available up to now suggests a strong growth of the population: in fact, the number of registered packs has increased from 3 in 2003 to 5 or 6 in 2008.This species is regularly distributed over the park territory, and additional packs seem to be present in neighbouring areas.
-Appennino tosco-emiliano National Park-4 wolf packs with an average of 3 individuals per pack.They are evenly distributed across the park and it seems as though the population is increasing.
During recent years, Italian wolves have also established themselves in Southern France, particularly in the Parc National du Mercantour.
Eurasian wolves