Predation of wolves on feral horses in Apennines Areas of Southern Italy: A Case Study Report

Abstract

Although wolf predation on horses is generally low, it can be significant where horses are grazed extensively and there are low densities of wild prey, such as in Southern Europe. The economic damage of wolf predation on horses can have a major impact in certain situations involving free-ranging horse populations and the topic needs more attention. This is the case of Spain, Portugal and Italy where it is possible to find many examples of wolf predations on feral horses. The main factor predisposing horses to wolf pre¬dation worldwide is the free-ranging management system. In Italy special attention is given to the horses bred in a particular area of the Southern Apennines: the Pentro horses; they represent a rare endangered equine population of Molise Region with its owns genetic characterisation. The losses of horses caused by wolves predations increase exponentially from year to year. Considering the very low number of Pentro Horses, any prey represents a considerable loss from a morphological and genetical point of view. Consequently, the predation phenomena represent a considerable limit to the selection and maintenance of these horses. This is why it was decided to create a special database with the aim of monitoring, analyzing and preventing predatory phenomena and consequently to keep under control the number of predatory events by the wolf. The database was processed by collection of data concerning: when the predation take place, the age of the preyed equines, the type of injury and the parts of the body injured or removed by the wolf, the body location of the damage and the recognition and value of money compensation. The data collected evidenced how there is a need for innovative approaches to prop¬erly mitigate predation and support the traditional free-ranging husbandry system with its high ecologi¬cal and cultural value.