The initiatives of the Cozie Alps Parks after the incident at Pian dell’Alpe

On the late afternoon of Wednesday, September 24, 2025, the park rangers of the management body of the protected areas of the Cottian Alps, in constant contact with the Director, intervened in Val Chisone, at a mountain pasture in Pian dell’Alpe (municipality of Usseaux), following a report from a shepherd stating that he had been bitten by a wolf while trying to prevent the predation of one of his sheep. After reaching the man at the mountain pasture where he had taken shelter, also because the area was experiencing rain and sleet, the agents urged him to go to the hospital for the necessary health checks as he appeared visibly shaken. Subsequently, they proceeded with an inspection of the incident site, identifying the point of the attack thanks to the description provided by the shepherd, observing in the area a wolf that was leaving and later finding the sheep that had been the target of the predation attempt, assisted by a guard dog. The aggression had left both animals with some wounds that appeared to be not serious, so much so that both the dog and the sheep returned independently to the flock. The following day, the agents returned to the shepherd, who had resumed his work, to check on his health status and to collect a direct account of the incident, which was appropriately documented. Later, the man also filed a report with the Forest Carabinieri.

The Reconstruction of Events

The man explained that he had been alerted that his sheep were behaving unusually and had gone to the flock, noticing that one of them was along the stream where they usually drink, being chased by two wolves, despite the Maremma dog trying to defend her. Instinctively, to scare off the wolves and save the sheep, the shepherd quickly descended to the streambed, getting very close to the wolves, to the point that one of them, possibly surprised by his arrival, reacted by biting him on the leg and causing a superficial wound. Subsequently, the wolves moved away, leaving fright and shock in the shepherd, who was later assisted by a relative.

The field investigations carried out by the park rangers were essential for reconstructing the story. Thanks to the testimonies collected and the support of photographic documentation, it is possible to advance some initial hypotheses about the behavior of the wolves: presumably, it was not a direct attack on the man, but an instinctive reaction. According to the shepherd's account, the attempt to predate on the sheep was initially hindered by the Maremma dog and later by the shepherd's own arrival, who got very close to the two wolves. In this context, it is likely that one of the two predators, caught off guard by the arrival of the shepherd during an extremely agitated phase in which it was simultaneously trying to confront the Maremma dog, bit the shepherd before giving up the attack on the sheep. Some elements of the wolves' behavior and the dynamics of the attack remain to be clarified, on which the competent authorities will conduct a careful assessment.

The Commitment of the Park Authority

“Following the provisions of the updated regulatory framework on the wolf species and under the responsibility of the Directorate – states Luca Marello, director of the management body of the protected areas of the Cottian Alps – following the incident, the surveillance service has been strengthened by increasing its presence in the area in order to monitor the situation to observe if the wolves will return to frequent Pian dell’Alpe and with what behavior. The necessary and warranted in-depth investigations will allow for a better understanding of the predators' behavior to evaluate whether there are contexts of danger in an area with high human traffic for tourism and work. Should any suspicious and repeated confident behaviors of the wolf towards humans be identified – an occurrence currently unconfirmed given the limited data available, the Authority will initiate a dialogue with ISPRA (Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) to identify appropriate solutions to implement. At the same time, there is already an active effort for the exchange of information with the Regional Reference Center for Large Carnivores of the Piedmont Region, with the Metropolitan City of Turin, and with local entities to gather all available information useful for better understanding what happened. The invitation that the Park Authority extends to visitors of Pian dell’Alpe and the mountains in general is not to create unnecessary alarm over an isolated event, but at the same time not to underestimate what happened, reminding that the approach to any wild animal always requires great caution and respect for the appropriate distance. At the same time, the staff of the Cottian Alps Parks reaffirms its commitment to constant support towards shepherds and all those who live and work in the mountains, or visit them for leisure, in order to achieve the goal of a proper coexistence between human activities and the wolf, however difficult and constantly evolving.”