PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The three national parks in central Italy - Monti Sibillini, Gran Sasso-Monti della Laga and Maiella-Morrone - form an almost unbroken and homogeneous system. They are key areas for wolves and bears.
However, a number of risk factors threatened their population such as stray dogs, uncontrolled dumping of rubbish, poaching and the unsustainable use of natural resources.
The three parks were only established recently and when the project were proposed they did not have a management plan. The LIFE project has provided useful elements for such plans when these are drawn up by the park administrations.
OBJECTIVES
The project, co-financed by the Environment Ministry, had the objective to carry out integrated emergency measures for bears and wolves throughout all three national parks. The idea was to tackle all the main threats with a package of parallel actions covering the whole area for a four-year period and targeting the expansion of the two species both inside and outside the protected areas.
To reach this objective the beneficiary foresaw to identify existing and potential ecological corridors for the dispersion of the species and to improve their suitability through biotope improvement measures. These measures included either short-term (for example, temporary artificial feeding places) or long-term (for example, re-introduction of wild ungulates) actions. Uncontrolled rubbish dumping were also to be addressed through a census of such dumps and actions to clean them up or fence them in. One of the objectives was also the promotion, among local herdsmen, to employ the traditional "Abruzzese" sheepdogs and the realization of modern livestock enclosures. Stray dogs are probably the most serious problem the bears and wolves have to face and the project intended to complete data collection on the subject and to plan and execute a programme for the capture of strays, in collaboration with the competent authorities for this issue.
RESULTS
The project has reached all the foreseen objectives,a great part of which will be continued also after the end of the project. The main outcomes of the project have been the following:
Twenty height roe deer have been released in the area of Gran Sasso. The reintroduction of roe deer in this area represents a real improvement of the habitat frequented by wolves which can now have more availability of preys and new areas suitable for their diffusion. Over 60 electrified fences and 40 mastiff dogs of the "Abruzzese" race have been given for free to the local breeders to protect flocks and prevent the predation of sheep by the carnivores. This action has also permitted to raise awareness of local population on the importance of the prevention and of the correct management of the flocks. A local breeder has set up a breeding centre for the mastiff dog. Almost all the waste dumps present in the territory have been fenced even though the beneficiary encountered several legal difficulties in carrying out this action. The fencing will prevent the large carnivores to access to the waste dumps. The problem of stray dogs has been partially solved: a series of surveys has permitted to estimate the number of stray dogs in the project area through scientific methods and to capture 130 dogs. An action plan on the stray dogs problem has been elaborated. The Italian Federation of Parks and Reserves and the three national parks have stated their intention to apply the plan. A management plan of the ecological corridors identified in the area has been elaborated. It proposes actions to improve the suitability of these areas for the wolf and the bear. The beneficiary has carried out a wide public awareness campaign including educational activities with local schools which have involved 20 classes, and the diffusion of TV spots on stray dogs and the use of sheep dogs. A popular bilingual 80 pages account of the project has been distributed. The project has reached all the foreseen objectives,a great part of which will be continued also after the end of the project. The main outcomes of the project have been the following:
Twenty height roe deer have been released in the area of Gran Sasso. The reintroduction of roe deer in this area represents a real improvement of the habitat frequented by wolves which can now have more availability of preys and new areas suitable for their diffusion. Over 60 electrified fences and 40 mastiff dogs of the "Abruzzese" race have been given for free to the local breeders to protect flocks and prevent the predation of sheep by the carnivores. This action has also permitted to raise awareness of local population on the importance of the prevention and of the correct management of the flocks. A local breeder has set up a breeding centre for the mastiff dog. Almost all the waste dumps present in the territory have been fenced even though the beneficiary encountered several legal difficulties in carrying out this action. The fencing will prevent the large carnivores to access to the waste dumps. The problem of stray dogs has been partially solved: a series of surveys has permitted to estimate the number of stray dogs in the project area through scientific methods and to capture 130 dogs. An action plan on the stray dogs problem has been elaborated. The Italian Federation of Parks and Reserves and the three national parks have stated their intention to apply the plan. A management plan of the ecological corridors identified in the area has been elaborated. It proposes actions to improve the suitability of these areas for the wolf and the bear. The beneficiary has carried out a wide public awareness campaign including educational activities with local schools which have involved 20 classes, and the diffusion of TV spots on stray dogs and the use of sheep dogs. A popular bilingual 80 pages account of the project has been distributed.
