The "I'm Not Afraid of the Wolf" Association and WWF Trentino-Alto Adige express their shock and outrage at yet another unfounded attack by the Association for the Protection of Rural Life, reported today in the Adige newspaper. In a letter sent to the Province, this association once again demonizes the presence of wolves in Trentino, basing its claims on questionable, never-before-seen data and decontextualized incidents dating back more than a century.
Talking today about the "increasing danger" of the wolf citing attacks that occurred before the Second World War is an operation as serious as it is ridiculous. There is no evidence to indicate an increased risk for people nor concrete evidence of a real threat to public safety. Although some rare episodes of aggression against humans have also occurred in Italy, in different contexts and with causes sometimes attributable to specimens previously illegally kept by humans or intentionally fed, These facts in no way justify the widespread alarmism. The wolf is not a harmless fairy-tale stuffed animal, but neither is it a growing danger. It is a wild animal and as such must be treated with respect and responsibility, maintaining the right distance. The ideological approach of those who still today contrast “Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf” with reality risks causing enormous damage. Wolves, like any wild animal, must be understood and managed with expertise. They are typically shy, reserved, and continue to exhibit elusive behavior. In the meantime, we would like to remind the Association that "domestic" animals, symbols of rural life, such as cattle, or even domestic dogs, man's best friend, are responsible for several injuries and even deaths in Italy every year, as has unfortunately happened recently. The crusade against the wolf, led by those with no scientific expertise or authority on the matter, is also offensive to those in Trentino who work in the field with rigor and professionalism. A complex reality, which requires study, experience, and knowledge of the territory, not just barroom chatter. It is unacceptable that we continue to use fear as a media tool, even going so far as to ask the Province for DNA swabs on "alleged" wolf attacks, fueling a surreal climate, far from reality. The wolf is a wild animal, essential to the balance of ecosystems, protected by European and national regulations. It has already been hit by an unacceptable downgrading at EU level and is the victim of increasing poaching using lead and poison. Now it must also defend itself from those who fuel an ideological narrative of a witch hunt. As associations that operate concretely in the territory, We will no longer remain silent in the face of these baseless attacks. We will continue to defend citizens' right to accurate information with the "Understanding the Wolf" project, which we have been implementing in Trentino municipalities for some time. We will do so by supporting farmers and local communities with concrete projects and real solutions for coexistence, far removed from sterile polemics and lavish invective.This should be the task of those who truly love the mountains and the rural world and it is the role we have chosen: Working with those who live in the area every day and standing alongside communities to jointly address the challenges we face.