«Protected wolves threaten the farms on the outskirts of Rome". An impressive title for the aristocratic readers of the City. So i homegrown predators disembark in London. Even the historic British newspaper «The Times», after the Corriere reports on the advance of the wolves towards the capital, from the north strip to the whole coast, he deals with the "bestial Rome". The report, published with good evidence, was edited by the correspondent in Italy, Tom Kington, who interviewed the breeders, heard the managers of the naturalistic bodies and drew some conclusions, also in the light of the recent "animalistic" quarrels that have seen wild boars as protagonists (and especially victims).
The premise, as in the style of the Times, is historical. “Legend has it that a wolf helped found Rome by nursing Romulus and his brother Remus when they were abandoned at birth. They had almost disappeared from Italy and now the animals have returned to the outskirts of the capital », writes the correspondent. After counting the predators on the Cassia side ("Three packs of wolves, about 23 in total"). Veio Park - writes - admit that wolves have attacked sheep and calves, but celebrate their arrival because of the predator's favorite target, the wild boar, which is multiplying at an alarming rate in Italy after it was introduced. a type of fast breeding from Romania».
Here it is, the optimistic note in relation to the advance of the packs from Abruzzo and Tuscany: better the wolves than the ungulates. An assessment in line with what was declared in a recent interview with Corriere by Rosario Fico, director of the zooprophylactic institute of Lazio and Tuscany. «In the Park of Veio wild boars destroy crops, while in Rome they rummage through the garbage cans and terrorize the residents. They have also caused numerous road accidents - notes the Times - while culling requests represent a political and ethical dilemma for the city authorities ". The dispute last October over the execution of a mother boar and six puppies in the Gregory VII area, evidently, was also followed in London.
Who knows among how many (understandable) raised eyebrows, in the light of the heated controversy that arose between animal rights activists and municipal offices, fueled by heavy sexist jokes from an official. "The decision to kill a family of wild boars that had occupied a school yard in October caused uproar", writes Kington, before giving the floor to an expert, the president of the Parco di Veio, Giorgio Polesi: "Wolves are the only enemies of the boars and are really helping to keep them in check. They are a resource, they complete the pyramid ». All very "British", of course. But the subtext is clear: long live the wolf, nothing but alarms, they say from the mists of the Thames. (Corriere della Sera).