During the event, it was emphasized that poisonings have become a structural and widespread phenomenon across the country. According to data from the National Poisoning Monitoring Portal, 16.826 poisoned animals were recorded in Italy between 2009 and 2024: nearly three a day, every day, for fifteen years. These numbers, according to the speakers, represent only a fraction of the real phenomenon, which is often hidden and difficult to prosecute.
"Regarding wolves, from 2019 to 2023, at least 1.639 dead wolves were found in Italy, with a steadily increasing trend: from 210 cases recorded in 2019 to 449 in 2023. We're talking about more than one dead wolf per day, and this is certainly an underestimate compared to the true mortality of the species," stated Francesco Romito of Io non ho paura del lupo APS during the meeting. He then added that "the causes of mortality directly or indirectly attributable to humans exceed 70% of documented cases." This picture highlights profound inconsistencies in the management of a species that the government has chosen to downgrade from a regulatory perspective, despite the strong concerns expressed by a significant portion of the scientific community. These data demonstrate that the key issue is not a hypothetical wolf-related emergency, but the ability of institutions to address concrete issues of legality, land management, prevention, and effective implementation of public policies.
During the event, the need to address the phenomenon of illegal killings not as a series of isolated incidents, but as a structured form of environmental crime widespread throughout the country, emerged forcefully.
"When we talk about poison, we're not just talking about wildlife protection. We're talking about legality. It's an environmental crime whose numbers, dynamics, and spread are systemic," said Daniela Gentile of Rewilding Apennines in her speech. Rewilding Apennines, an organization affiliated with Rewilding Europe and active in ecosystem restoration and coexistence with large carnivores in the central Apennines, highlighted data collected in the field together with the Carabinieri Forestry Corps and the Carabinieri Biodiversity Unit of Castel di Sangro. "We work in Lazio and Abruzzo, Italy's second and fourth regions, respectively, for confirmed cases. Abruzzo alone has a poisoning rate per capita four times higher than the national average. The problem in these mountains is not marginal. It's structural," Gentile explained.
The data regarding griffon vultures is particularly alarming: "53% of the griffon vultures we find dead have been poisoned. Considering the suspected cases, the figure rises to 69%. The griffon vulture is not the target: it feeds on poisoned carcasses, often intended for wolves, and dies."
Valeria Barbi, environmental journalist and communications manager for Salviamo L'Orso, an association that since 2012 has been working to protect and conserve the Marsican brown bear, a unique subspecies found exclusively in the central Apennines and now classified as critically endangered, spoke during the initiative. "When a Marsican brown bear dies, we don't just lose an individual. We lose genetic diversity, reproductive capacity, ecological resilience. We lose a piece of the world's natural heritage. The protection of this species, and of biodiversity, cannot become a battleground for ideological conflict or electoral propaganda. Science speaks clearly. The data exists. The responsibilities are known. What is too often lacking is the political will to act promptly and consistently," clarified Barbi, who, during his speech, emphasized how the persecution of large carnivores poses a risk to the entire ecological balance of the Apennines: "The international scientific community considers poison one of the most destructive and indiscriminate forms of wildlife persecution. Those who scatter poisoned baits don't just harm one animal. They commit an attack on public heritage, biodiversity, environmental health, and even the health security of human communities [...] Yet coexistence with large carnivores is possible through already available prevention tools. What is lacking is a coherent and ongoing national strategy."
Hence, the shared belief among all speakers that the recent event of April 2026, which struck the heart of the central Apennines, cannot be interpreted as an isolated or marginal event, but rather represents an extremely serious signal to one of the areas that is a symbol of biodiversity conservation and the protection of large carnivores in Italy. This event has significance that goes beyond a single local event, because it affects a system of environmental protection built over decades through scientific research, monitoring, prevention, local work, and dialogue with local communities.
The associations involved also highlighted that the victims of the poison are not only protected wild animals, but also thousands of domestic dogs and cats, in addition to the potential risk to public health. The substances used often include pesticides and agrochemicals banned for years in Europe, but still available on the illegal market.
"Carbofuran has been banned in Europe since 2008. Yet today, eighteen years later, it is still the most commonly found substance in griffon vulture carcasses in the Apennines. The poisoned baits speak to a hidden supply chain that continues to fuel this phenomenon," Gentile added.
Among the proposals put forward during the event, and shared by the speakers:
- strengthening investigative activities and anti-poison units;
- the introduction of specific legislation against the deliberate poisoning of wildlife;
- national awareness campaigns;
- support for local communities that invest in coexistence with wildlife;
- a coordinated national strategy based on the model already adopted in Spain.
The need to effectively implement European Directive 2024/1203 on criminal protection of the environment was also highlighted, including the fight against poison among the priorities of the future national strategy against environmental crimes.
The meeting concluded with a shared appeal to institutions to make combating the deliberate poisoning of wildlife a national political priority. Romito emphasized the need to address wolf management based on concrete data and a full understanding of the critical issues still affecting the species: "Given the reduction in wolf protection, it is essential to fully understand the real threats this species continues to face in our country. Poisonings and a lack of up-to-date monitoring reveal a much more complex situation than the simplistic narrative of a numerical emergency." "We need full institutional unity. It is no longer acceptable to witness conflicting messages coming from different levels of public administration," Barbi concluded. Gentile shared the same opinion, emphasizing that "When a crime is this widespread, this systematic, this widespread, and produces zero convictions, it is no longer just an investigative challenge. It is a political choice."