[REVISION HISTORY]

Rising wolf and bear predations across Italy

Updated 19 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-25 06:43 UTC → 2026-10-03 14:37 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Reports of wolf sightings and attacks have emerged across several Italian regions. In Puglia, following attacks on children in Noicattaro, a specialized task force has been established in the province of Bari to locate and capture the animal. DNA analysis has since confirmed that a young male Apennine wolf was responsible for the August 15 attack on a six-year-old child. An inter-institutional Task Force, coordinated by the Prefecture of Bari, has intensified monitoring in the Noicattaro area using camera traps, thermal imaging drones, and biological sampling. Authorities have identified at least six individuals in the vicinity, including three adults and three young wolves. The effort has pinpointed a specific young male that frequently enters peri-urban areas and shows reduced fear of humans. Recently, the task force captured a female wolf in the countryside between Noicattaro and Rutigliano, which was transferred to the Bitetto wildlife observatory for monitoring. While the female is suspected to be part of the local pack, officials noted that genetic testing is required to determine if she was responsible for previous attacks, as prior DNA evidence identified a young male as the aggressor. On September 25, a new wolf sighting was reported in the city of Bari, specifically near the area between the Stanic district and the Canalone. A resident captured footage of the animal moving disorientedly through the urban landscape. Experts have confirmed that this new sighting is not the same animal whose DNA was found at the site of the previous August attack. In Following the ~~Marche region, authorities have activated a coordinated monitoring program following reports~~ capture of ~~wolves appearing near inhabited areas. In Ancona,~~ a female wolf in the ~~issue has impacted urban feline colonies; Orlanda Latini,~~ countryside between Noicattaro and Torre a Mare, the ~~councilor for~~ animal ~~protection, reported that a colony of over 50 cats~~ was ~~reduced~~ transferred to ~~15 following~~ the Bitetto wildlife observatory for medical and genetic testing. While tests ruled out this specific wolf as the individual responsible for the August child attacks, experts cannot exclude its membership in the local pack. The wolf has since been released back into the wild equipped with a ~~suspected~~ radio collar. This will allow researchers to monitor its movements and determine if it enters populated zones, providing data to assist the regional task force in developing an extraordinary wolf ~~transit.~~ management plan for Puglia.

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