The University of Sassari protagonist in the capture of the Piave she-wolf

PRESS RELEASE

TREVISO. The University of Sassari played a decisive role in the capture of a female wolf that had caused panic among the inhabitants of the province of Treviso. The "capture team", coordinated by Professor Marco Apollonio of the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Sassari university, was fundamental in resolving a situation that had created great concern among the local population. The animal, nicknamed "La Lupa del Piave" by the local press, was successfully captured on the night between Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September near Cimaldomo, at the end of an operation coordinated by the Veneto Region. The intervention also involved the Provincial Police of Treviso and Belluno and the Veterinary Service of Ulss 2.

Over the course of three months, numerous appearances of the wolf were reported in the Treviso plain along the Piave, one specimen being around a year and a half old: episodes of dogs being mauled and a disturbing and threatening presence during festivals and outdoor events. On one occasion, the wolf stole a fridge bag containing food from an elderly woman, while in another episode it entered private property, during an outdoor family lunch, taking away one of the family's dogs.

All reports were collected by the offices of the Regional Council and sent to ISPRA (Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) and to the Ministry of the Environment. Consequently, a task force was established to plan the capture of the wolf, with the aim of securing the territory, while preserving the integrity of the animal. At this point, the team led by Professor Apollonio, full professor of Zoology and coordinator of the degree course in Wildlife Management at the University of Sassari, came into play. The operational group included experts such as Duccio Berzi, Syrian Luccarini, Michele Zanni, Guido Rastrelli and Ehsan Saeidi, a veterinarian, Iranian student of the same Sassari degree course: the last three operators physically conducted the capture operation with the Provincial Police of Treviso and Belluno and a veterinarian from the Treviso service.

After capture, the specimen was visited by a veterinarian, subjected to clinical and radiographic examinations, and finally transferred to a wildlife recovery center.

«For the University of Sassari, this operation represents a success» declared Professor Apollonio. «It confirms the good practices we are developing in the field of wildlife management. The relationship with large mammals, such as the wolf, is an increasingly central issue. Their presence is increasing not only in Veneto, but also in many other Italian regions. Although this is undoubtedly a positive signal for the environment, it requires the adoption of preventive strategies to ensure safe coexistence between these animals and local communities."