Entire pack of wolves poisoned as urgent investigation underway

We’ve opened an investigation into the illegal killing of wild animals. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Initial studies suggest the wolves were poisoned. We are working to find out exactly what sort of poison was used.Five dead wolves were found in the village of Pescasseroli, a hub for hikers and nature lovers.Another set of five dead wolves, believed to be an entire pack, were found in Alfedena.Luciano Sammarone, director of the national park, said: There will be wide-ranging consequences for the ecosystem. Poisoning is a horrendous way of killing because it is so indiscriminate.It can kill wolves but also foxes, other wild animals, and domestic dogs.Wolves were given officially protected status in the 1970s after almost being driven to extinction.The species of Italian wolf, also known as the Apennine wolf, is distinct to the Eurasian wolf commonly found across Europe.There are an estimated 3,500 wild wolves within the Apennines and the Alps.LATEST ANIMAL NEWS:Peacock forced to be captured after terrorising 92-year-old's farmEco-activist who 'freed lobster from restaurant by throwing it into the sea' actually KILLED animalDog can 'read humans like a book' – groundbreaking study reveals hidden depth of canine careThe European Union downgraded the protection status for wolves from strictly protected to protected last year after the success of the species - an estimated 20,000 wolves - across member states.But critics said the move was politically motivated.Eurogroup for Animals representative Lea Badoz said: This is a sad day for biodiversity and wild animals.Green MEP Jutta Paulus said the move ignored scientific evidence and attacks legislation and was done for populistic point scoring.The Italian poisoning of the Canis lupus follows an incident in London where poisoned meat was placed in Holland Park and Brompton Cemetery.Two foxes died as a result of the poisoned meat and a dog became very unwell after it consumed the meat.The Metropolitan Police believed the meat was purposely placed to target animals.One dog walker said there had been similar incidents in the past, and another described the incident as absolutely horrendous. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter