Hide-and-Seek in a Highly Human-Dominated Landscape: Insights into Movement Patterns and Selection of Resting Sites of Rehabilitated Wolves (Canis lupus) in Northern Italy

Abstract

Assessing the behavioural responses of floating wolves to human presence is crucial for investigating the chance of wolf populations expanding into urbanised landscapes. We studied the movement ecology of three rehabilitated wolves in a highly human-dominated landscape (Po Plain, Italy) to explore wolf’s plasticity amid widespread human pressure. To reach this aim, we estimated individual 95% utilisation distributions (UD) after the release and inspected both 95% UDs and net squared displacements to identify individual movement patterns; tested for differences in movement patterns during day and night; and analysed the selection of resting sites during dispersal movement in a highly human-altered environment. Both the 95% UDs and step lengths were smaller for wolves settling in suitable areas than for those settling in more urbanised areas. All wolves exhibited strong temporal segregation with humans during all movement phases, particularly while dispersing across highly urbanised areas. Main roads and proximity to built-up areas were shown to limit wolves’ dispersal, whereas small-wooded patches that provide shelter during rest facilitated long-distance movements. This study provides important insights into wolf movement and settling in urban and peri-urban areas, providing critical knowledge to promote human–carnivore coexistence.

Molecular Survey of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Mammals of Southern Italy

“…This would link to the higher probability of a carnivorous or omnivorous species ingesting infected tissues vs. that of a herbivore, which may only ingest oocyst-contaminated food plants, soil, and/or drinking water [ 12 ]. The different result herein obtained was probably associated with the high degree of anthropization typical of the Campania region, and the increasingly synanthropic habits of the mammal species we considered [ 24 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. All factors increased the likelihood of pathogen-spread in areas where free-ranging domestic cats were abundant and their direct or indirect contacts with wildlife frequent.…”

Changes in Wolf Occupancy and Feeding Habits in the Northern Apennines: Results of Long-Term Predator–Prey Monitoring

“…As reported, in the Lombard Apennines, built-up areas mainly correspond to small towns and villages and reach an important percentage of cover only in the most northern sample squares ( Figure 1 ), where the probability of occupancy was low or irregular across years ( Figure 6 ). Human presence has been considered for decades to be a factor that negatively influences wolf habitat suitability; recently, it has been argued that this factor has only delayed the wolf recolonization of highly human-dominated landscapes [ 55 ], suggesting that wolves are able to exploit even extremely modified landscapes thanks to their behavioral adaptability [ 67 ].…”

Spatial bias in dietary studies can limit our understanding of the feeding ecology of large carnivores

“…In these areas wolves have been found to rely mostly on deer and wild boar, which are nevertheless much less abundant in Cluster 4 and 5. However, with the progressive recolonization of the Italian peninsula by wolf packs (Bassi et al, 2015), wolves indeed expanded in humanmodified areas as those included in Clusters 4 and 5 (Torretta et al, 2022;Zanni et al, 2023). Since these areas are also those more likely to host conflicts with humans, due to their high human presence and activities, the knowledge gaps concerning wolf ecology in these areas may prevent the application of evidence-based conservation and conflict management policies (Kuijper et al, 2024).…”

“…Even though wolves are known to have a wide trophic niche, and can include in their diet also unexpected resources (Adams et al, 2010;Barocas et al, 2018;Mohammadi et al, 2019;Roffler et al, 2022) most reviews regard wild ungulates, or alternatively livestock, as the cornerstone of their diet, with other food sources playing a minor role (Capitani et al 2004;Janeiro-Otero et al, 2020;Meriggi et al, 2011;Mattioli et al 2011, Meriggi andLovari, 1996;Mori et al, 2017;Newsome et al, 2016;Zlatanova et al, 2014). However, if wolves had truly relied on wild ungulates, it is unclear how they could be colonizing peri-urban areas and croplands (Torretta et al, 2022;Zanni et al, 2023), where ungulates are less abundant and where recent evidence suggests they rely on alternative food sources (Ciucci et al, 2020;Ferretti et al, 2019;Musto et al, 2024).…”