A wolf attacked a dog on a leash and its owner in the center of Palombaro, in the province of Chieti. The woman, Nadia Terenzi, 56, had gone out for a walk with her dog but suddenly a wolf grabbed the dog. The woman tried to save him but the wolf returned to the charge, he chased her too attacking her and making her fall to the ground and took possession of the dog fleeing and holding it between her teeth. Along the route of the escape through the nearby woods blood stains everywhere, it is not excluded to have devoured it.
On the spot, which is part of the Maiella National Park, the deputy mayor Giuseppe Di Nardo arrived first and alerted the rescuers. The Foresters, the carabinieri of Palombaro, the 118, the health workers of the ASL were called and the Majella National Park Authority was notified. In the meantime, the woman attacked was taken to the PTA of Casoli then transferred to the emergency room of Lanciano. In the fall she hurt her knee and wrist and underwent radiological examinations.
After the attack on the spot, themayor Consuelo Di Martino also arrived, who issued the alert to the population via social media: "This is a rather anomalous behavior, therefore, it could be a potentially dangerous specimen. We recommend extreme caution. If anyone spots it, please contact us."
On the phone, Mayor Di Martino adds: "It was a very bad experience. For the veterinarian, the wolf behavior was abnormal. He may have been removed from the pack. A British family also reported a wolf attack on their dog the day before yesterday. It could be hungry and potentially dangerous; therefore do not leave food on the street. We also found buckets of destroyed waste."
Insiders are cautious, but not surprised: in recent months there have been several apparently critical cases in Italy, and it is clear that we are witnessing a significant ecological change. "We should use a "high" look and be aware of the great ecological processes taking place on our territories, but I know that it is not easy, especially in this social media era". This is how the head of the veterinary service of the Maiella National Park Simone Angelucci comments on Palombaro's aggression. "Not only in Abruzzo, not only in Italy, but in many Western countries, there is a rapid evolution of the interface between wild animals and men: man for over 50 years has abandoned the territories, agricultural and pastoral practices, the presence in rural areas that had kept wild populations limited for centuries: then we all went to live in the city and today we expect wild animals to be "in their place".
