Italian red deer subspecies transferred to Calabria to prevent extinction

Seventeen specimens of the endemic Italian red deer (Cervus elaphus italicus) were transferred from the Bosco della Mesola in Emilia-Romagna to the Serre Regional Park in Calabria between October 22 and 25, 2026. The group, consisting of 11 females and 6 males, traveled nearly one thousand kilometers to establish a second vital population.

This initiative is the fourth phase of Operazione Cervo Italico, a conservation program launched in 2023. The project is a collaborative effort involving WWF Italia, the University of Siena, Dream Italia, the Carabinieri Biodiversity Group, and regional authorities.

The primary goal is to mitigate the risk of extinction caused by geographic isolation. Currently, the subspecies survives naturally only within the Bosco della Mesola reserve in the Po Delta. By creating a new population in a different habitat, conservationists aim to protect the genetic heritage from localized threats such as epidemics, fires, or climate change.