THEItalian National Dog-loving Body (ENCI) has decided to register the Shepherd of the Sila in the genealogical register to recover one of the oldest Italian breeds, born from the cross between the shepherd dogs that followed the goats in Greece and the Calabrian mountain dogs brought by Indo-European hunters. The inscription goes hand in hand with theincreased requests for this animal in alpine areas in which the wolf is putting the pastures at risk: the census in Calabria, Tuscany, Veneto, Liguria and Piedmont highlighted the presence of 500 specimens, with the first mating programs started some time ago. This dog has a relatively large size and immediately gives the idea of an agile and never heavy animal, with good musculature.
The muzzle is also powerful: the coat is black but can also take on different shades, without forgetting the semi-long hair and the pendulous ears. The registration of the ENCI confirms that it can no longer be referred to as an extinct breed. Over half a century ago it was still used for supervise cattle in Calabria, but the new farms imposed by the agrarian reform have risked forgetting forever the Shepherd della Sila, who has now rediscovered himself very useful in wolf management.
The most optimistic forecasts speak of an increase in numerical terms over the next few months and a sure interest on the part of International Cynological Federation (FCI). The Sila National Park has already committed to sign an agreement for protect wildlife and the wolf itself from poaching phenomena: indigenous dogs will become a fundamental work tool, as well as prevention for the damage suffered by the agricultural sector.
Among other things, the Shepherd of the Sila is able to withstand the most extreme situations, both from the atmospheric point of view and as regards the absence of food, for very long periods of time. Now it is ready to repopulate the Calabrian territories, one of the strongholds of the Italian wolf. The large woods and sparsely populated areas of the southern region, in fact, have always attracted wolves, however risking extinction in the XNUMXs. The current distribution involves the mountain area between 800 and 1000 meters, from Pollino to Aspromonte, with recent sightings setting off the alarm. In particular, the rains have often prompted wild wolves to venture out of their natural habitat and arrive without too many hesitations up to the territories along the coast.