Has the wolf returned to the woods?This time the hinds will tell us

Ten females with radicollare in the Cansiglio forest to study how they behave with the predator and when there are many curious people.

VENICE – In the Cansiglio state forest, there are deer:that, after all, is "a strategic area for their annual cycle". In fact, during the winter, the deer move from the lower areas of the Plain due to the phenomenon of thermal inversion, preferring sunnier territories.AND now the use of radio collars will allow us to precisely monitor these seasonal movements towards the wintering areas and the attendance of the habitats between woods and pastures.But not only:they will also be used to analyze the behavior of deer in relation to the presence of the wolf, comparing current data with that collected between 2015 and 2017, when the presence of the predator was still sporadic.

2 YEAR STUDY, ALSO ON THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MASSIVE VISITORS INFLOW

We will know in two years, at the end of a study that starts now, when we will also have "valuable information on the relationship between deer and the massive influx of visitors during the roaring season, continuing a line of investigations already started last year through the use of night vision goggles."Veneto Agricoltura explains everything, which for over a year and a half has established a group of operators specialized in wildlife monitoring, with the dual objective of surveying the regional wildlife heritage and contributing to research projects aimed at the conservation of biodiversity.And recently, the group caught up a milestone in Pian del Cansiglio, where it collaborates with the Cà Foscari University of Venice for the monitoring of 10 female deer with the radio tracking technique.The operation, supervised by veterinarians, made it possible to apply satellite radio collars to the animals, thus allowing in-depth studies on movements and behaviors.

DOES CAPTURED BETTER 'THANKS' TO BAD WEATHER, AND 'APPLE' RETURNS

The captures of the hinds took place between 1 and 3 October, taking advantage of the bad weather which reduced the presence of visitors. This made the work of the operators easier, who managed to sedate nine does in a single night.The animals were measured, weighed and equipped with ear tags for their recognition, useful even after the radio collars were removed, so as to be able to collect crucial data on the longevity of the species.TAmong the specimens previously monitored with the same technique, during the capture operations the female "Apple" was observed, already captured in 2015, who is now around 14-15 years old.