Gargioni Carlo, Monaco Andrea, Francesco Ficetola Gentile, Lazzeri Lorenzo, Mori Emiliano
Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy.
ISPRA Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Mar 18;11(3):857. doi: 10.3390/ani11030857.
Since 2016, a feral population of llama has been present in Central Italy after escaping from a zoological garden and starting to reproduce. We updated demographic status and distribution of this population and investigated societal perception towards the llama presence and management in the area through a standard questionnaire. Field data were collected through direct (transects traveled by car and on foot) and indirect (newspapers, social networks and online platforms) research. The feral population appears to be declining. In July 2020, the population was represented by three individuals (one male and two females), identified also through photoidentification, most likely located within a 40-hectare area. The majority of citizens are aware of the presence of feral llamas and show a positive attitude toward them and a negative one toward management actions. The case of feral llamas in Italy is an evident example of unsafe management of a species which should have kept in a zoo and which, once set free, was able to catalyze the attention of the general public. The decline of this population limits the need of drastic management actions that, given the appreciation expressed by people and press toward these animals, would have been at risk of conflict with the public opinion. Removal action should be rapidly taken, i.e., before any demographic rebound and before the population becomes a stable feature of the local landscape.
自2016年以来，一群从动物园逃脱并开始繁殖的野生美洲驼出现在意大利中部。我们更新了这一群体的人口统计状况和分布情况，并通过一份标准问卷调查了当地社会对该地区美洲驼的存在及管理的看法。通过直接（乘车和徒步穿越样带）和间接（报纸、社交网络和在线平台）研究收集了实地数据。野生美洲驼种群数量似乎在下降。2020年7月，该种群由三只个体（一只雄性和两只雌性）组成，通过照片识别也能确定它们的身份，它们最有可能分布在一个40公顷的区域内。大多数市民都知道野生美洲驼的存在，对它们持积极态度，而对管理行动持消极态度。意大利野生美洲驼的案例是一个物种管理不安全的明显例子，该物种本应饲养在动物园，一旦放生，就能够引起公众的关注。该种群数量的下降减少了采取严厉管理行动的必要性，鉴于民众和媒体对这些动物的喜爱，采取这些行动可能会与公众舆论发生冲突。应迅速采取清除行动，即在种群数量出现任何反弹之前，以及在该种群成为当地景观的稳定特征之前。
