Frangini Lorenzo, Marzano Giacomo, Comuzzi Alice, De Giovanni Andrea, Gallizia Andrea, Franchini Marcello, Rugge Michela, De Luca Marco, De Matteis Giuseppe, Filacorda Stefano
Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio 2/A, 33100 Udine, Italy.
Management Consortium of the Torre Guaceto Marine Protected Area and State Natural Reserve, Via Sant'Anna 6, Carovigno, 72012 Brindisi, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Jul 3;15(13):1958. doi: 10.3390/ani15131958.
This study documents the recolonization of the wolf using opportunistic and systematic data, including camera trapping and scat surveys in south-eastern Italy. Wolf distribution was mapped using a 10 × 10 km grid, and Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) were applied to identify environmental and anthropogenic drivers of stable presence. Camera trapping and scat analyses were used to provide the first insights into the activity patterns and feeding habits of the species. The results showed a significant expansion in wolf range, with occurrence increasing by 120%, especially in areas with high forest cover. During 1402 camera-trap nights, wolves and wild prey species displayed primarily nocturnal activity, reducing overlap with human presence, though prey activity peaks were offset from those of wolves. Diet analysis of 75 scats revealed a high occurrence of livestock and pets, along with all wild species living in the area (i.e., ungulates, medium-sized and micromammals). These findings underscore the wolf's ecological adaptability and ability to thrive in heavily altered landscapes. Indeed, this study shows how wolves were able to occupy even suboptimal areas, taking advantage of both anthropogenic and wild trophic resources, still displaying nocturnal activity to lower the probability of encounters with humans.
本研究利用机会性和系统性数据记录了狼的重新定居情况，这些数据包括意大利东南部的相机陷阱监测和粪便调查。狼的分布采用10×10公里的网格进行绘制，并应用广义线性模型（GLMs）来确定狼稳定存在的环境和人为驱动因素。相机陷阱监测和粪便分析首次揭示了该物种的活动模式和饮食习惯。结果显示狼的活动范围显著扩大，出现率增加了120%，特别是在森林覆盖率高的地区。在1402个相机陷阱监测夜晚期间，狼和野生猎物物种主要在夜间活动，减少了与人类活动的重叠，不过猎物的活动高峰与狼的活动高峰有所错开。对75份粪便的饮食分析显示，家畜和宠物的出现频率很高，同时该地区所有野生物种（即有蹄类动物、中型和小型哺乳动物）也都有出现。这些发现强调了狼的生态适应性以及在严重改变的景观中茁壮成长的能力。事实上，这项研究表明狼能够利用人为和野生的营养资源，甚至占据次优区域，并且仍然保持夜间活动以降低与人类相遇的概率。
