Wolf pups spotted near Rome for the first time in decades
September 28, 2017 - A wolf pup has been spotted near Rome for the first time in more than a century, according to a local wildlife protection group. The pup was spotted on a camera earlier this month, which was set up in Oasi Lipu, a nature reserve located just outside the Italian capital. The video shows one of at least two young pups born at the park earlier this year approach the camera, before being spooked and running away.
It’s a significant sighting for experts, as the Italian wolf remains extremely vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature‘s list of threatened species. Researchers believe there are up to 2,000 wolves currently living in Italy, but that number dwindled to just 100 by 1970 due to hunting and human interaction.
A spokesperson for Oasi Lipu told local media adult wolves were first spotted in the park near Rome in 2013.