Hunting and Dogs: Parma, a hound engaged in a joke of hunting the fox was attacked and killed by a wolf. Torn in front of his master's eyes just 70 meters from the path.
Last Saturday, in the morning, during a joke of fox hunting as part of a control plan, a young medium-sized Italian hound was attacked and killed in seconds by a large wolf, under the helpless gaze of his master and other hunters. The attack took place under the church of Sivizzano, in the locality of Valli di Traversetolo, just 70 meters from the path often frequented by families with dogs on a leash. The wolf did not tear the body of the dog, a powerful bite to the chest was enough which, crushing it, killed the hound practically on the spot. Two other dogs, one hound and a fox terrier, fled at great speed while the owner of the dog, Claudio Fontanesi, together with a dozen expert hunters, watched the scene in terror. «I had just released the dogs - explains Fontanesi - but the most terrible thing is that the wolf did not kill to defend the territory, he wanted to eat it. He was hungry and did not want to detach himself from his prey: we had to fire shots in the air to drive him away ».
According to the testimonies, it would be a specimen of male wolf of at least 60 kg that Fontanesi probably saw: «I had already seen him once, always in these parts. I've been a lumberjack and hunter since I was 18 and now I'm 46 - he explains -, I know our woods like my hands. We hunters regularly spot wolves in our area. But this is the first assault on a hunting trip. The wood was rather sparse and we saw the whole scene. I had never experienced such fear. I will never go to hunts with my dogs again and many other hunters think like me. '
Two precedents in the Traversetolo area concerning domestic dogs were recorded in recent years in Cazzola and Gabbiola, not far from the place where the attack on Saturday took place. Furthermore, two sightings were recorded in 2014: two packs of 3 and 7 wolf specimens, also in the Traversetolo Valleys. A few months ago the ATC PR4 had denounced on the pages of the Gazzetta di Parma the increasingly frequent presence of wolves in the area, up to Montechiarugolo, urging citizens not to release dogs near wooded areas.
(April 3, 2015)
Source: GazzettadiParma