Skip to content

Roe Deer and Wild Boar Remained Key Wolf Prey as Diet Shifted Across North-western Italy

Wolf in Bologna Italy
Research · Ecology

Wolves in north-western Italy continued to rely overwhelmingly on wild prey after expanding into densely human-modified lowlands, but they changed which prey they used. A five-year comparison of wolf diet in the Apennines and the recently recolonized Po Plain found that roe deer and wild boar remained central ungulate prey, while coypu became especially important in the lowlands.

The researchers analysed wolf scats collected from 2021 to 2025 and compared diet composition, trophic niche width and changes in key prey between the two regions. Livestock, pets and other human-associated food made up only a negligible part of the diet in both areas.

Wild ungulates dominated in the Apennines

In the historical Apennine range, wild ungulates formed the main part of the diet. European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) were the most consumed ungulates, but their contributions changed in opposite directions through the study.

Wild boar consumption increased from 2021 to a peak in 2023 and then declined markedly through 2025. Roe deer showed the reverse broad pattern, decreasing until 2023 before increasing again. Fallow deer and red deer contributed comparatively little and did not show the same pronounced changes.

Lowland wolves shifted toward coypu

In the Po Plain, medium-sized mammals were much more important than in the Apennines. Coypu (Myocastor coypus) was the dominant contributor to this difference and became a key prey resource in the newly colonized lowlands.

Coypu and roe deer together accounted for most of the dietary difference between the two regions. Roe deer consumption in the Plain increased overall from the first to the last study year, while wild boar use remained comparatively stable apart from a dip in 2024.

Wild prey remained dominant despite human-dominated surroundings

The contrast between regions did not arise because lowland wolves switched to livestock or human food. Instead, they adjusted their diet to a different wild-prey community. The lowland trophic niche broadened over time as the wolves incorporated prey that were abundant in the agricultural and wetland landscape.

The authors also discuss African swine fever as a possible contributor to the temporary rise and subsequent decline in wild-boar consumption in the Apennines. Infected boar can become weakened and easier to catch, but the study does not directly demonstrate that disease caused the dietary shift.

The results illustrate dietary flexibility during wolf range expansion. For the prey species, they also show that roe deer and wild boar remained important components of wolf feeding ecology even as wolves adapted to newly occupied lowland landscapes.

Sources and image credit

  1. Torretta, E., Giussani, L., Rampazi, G., et al. (2026). Comparing wolf feeding ecology between historical ranges and recently colonized human-dominated lowlands. Frontiers in Ethology, 5, 1950752.Primary open-access article published 30 September 2026. Full text checked. Wolf scats collected from 2021–2025 in north-western Italy were used to compare diet in the historical Apennine range and recently colonized Po Plain.

Image: Wolf (Canis lupus) at Medelana, Bologna, Italy. Photo: lpvva1 / Wikimedia Commons. CC0. Representative image; not an animal sampled in the study. · CC0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

Ecology

SPECIES IN THIS STORY

Species in this story

European Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus Explore species Wild Boar Sus scrofa Explore species

Independent research and conservation news archive

Did you find this information useful?

Wildlife Vagabond is independently built and maintained. Voluntary support helps cover source verification, hosting and continued work on research and conservation news.

Support Wildlife Vagabond

The news archive will remain freely available.