Unsafe management of a zoological garden as a cause of introduction of an alien species into the wild: First documented case of feral naturalized population of Lama glama in Europe

Dodaro, G; Battisti, Corrado; Campedelli, Tommaso; Fanelli, Giuliano; Monaco, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2019.02.006

Cited by 3 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…The road was traveled by car at a mean speed of 50 km/h. We changed the starting point every day to increase the probability of detecting llamas where present [46]. The traveled road included all the area where llamas were recorded [46] apart from the "Valle dell'Inferno" Natural Reserve.…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We changed the starting point every day to increase the probability of detecting llamas where present [46]. The traveled road included all the area where llamas were recorded [46] apart from the "Valle dell'Inferno" Natural Reserve. The "Valle dell'Inferno" Natural Reserve does not include paved roads; thus, 15 pathways (200 m each) were traveled by foot once a year in the framework of a monitoring program on wild boar populations in September 2019 and September 2020 to search for signs of llama presence.…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unfortunately, it was not possible to reliably assess individual sex from downloaded photos of other individuals recorded in previous years. [46]. Llamas lived in an enclosure within the park in the 1970s-1990s (llamas within enclosure), then outside the cage but still within the zoo up to 2016 (llamas within the park) and then outside the zoo park borders.…”

Section: Llama Records and Population Rangementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The llama, Lama glama , is the domestic form of the guanaco Lama guanicoe [ 43 ], which was domesticated in South America for wool and meat production about 6000–7000 years ago [ 44 , 45 ]. The llama was introduced worldwide as an attraction in parks, farms and zoos [ 46 ]. In Central Italy, a self-sustaining population of feral llamas originated from a group of captive animals living in a local zoo (Cavriglia, province of Arezzo, open between 1974 and 2016) since 2016 [ 46 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The llama was introduced worldwide as an attraction in parks, farms and zoos [ 46 ]. In Central Italy, a self-sustaining population of feral llamas originated from a group of captive animals living in a local zoo (Cavriglia, province of Arezzo, open between 1974 and 2016) since 2016 [ 46 ]. Llamas were kept as free-ranging within the zoo borders since 1993 but, after 2016, they were abandoned and started to freely range also in the surroundings of this zoo.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From the Andes to the Apennines: Rise and Fall of a Free-Ranging Population of Feral Llamas

Gargioni

Monaco

Ficetola

et al. 2021

Animals

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Since 2016, a feral population of llama Lama glama has been present in Central Italy after escaping from a zoological garden and starting to reproduce. We updated demographic status and distribution of this population and investigated societal perception towards the llama presence and management in the area through a standard questionnaire. Field data were collected through direct (transects traveled by car and on foot) and indirect (newspapers, social networks and online platforms) research. The feral population appears to be declining. In July 2020, the population was represented by three individuals (one male and two females), identified also through photoidentification, most likely located within a 40-hectare area. The majority of citizens are aware of the presence of feral llamas and show a positive attitude toward them and a negative one toward management actions. The case of feral llamas in Italy is an evident example of unsafe management of a species which should have kept in a zoo and which, once set free, was able to catalyze the attention of the general public. The decline of this population limits the need of drastic management actions that, given the appreciation expressed by people and press toward these animals, would have been at risk of conflict with the public opinion. Removal action should be rapidly taken, i.e., before any demographic rebound and before the population becomes a stable feature of the local landscape.

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Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Llama Records and Population Rangementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From the Andes to the Apennines: Rise and Fall of a Free-Ranging Population of Feral Llamas

Gargioni

Monaco

Ficetola

et al. 2021

Animals

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Feral rabbit populations in a peri-urban area: insights about invasion dynamics and potential management strategies

et al. 2021

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Where introduced, the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is considered among the most destructive and invasive species. To date, research focused mostly on populations of wild rabbit, whereas little is known on feral domestic rabbit populations. In this work, we reported the establishment of two self-sustaining populations of feral rabbits in Italy. Direct observations were conducted to assess rabbit range expansion and population increase over time. We also evaluated prey-predator interactions between rabbits and native red foxes Vulpes vulpes, by means of camera trapping and the analysis of fox scats. Moreover, we also assessed the social perception towards feral rabbits and the acceptability of various management options through the administration of a structured questionnaire to park visitors. Rabbit populations increased between 2018 and 2019, as well as the size of the invaded range. Rabbits are predated by foxes, but they seem to have adapted their activity rhythms to minimize the risk of predation, becoming diurnal. Park visitors loved rabbits and deemed them to be a positive presence in the park, which deserve to live there. Surgical sterilization of rabbits was the only management option which was partially supported. Feral domestic rabbits, albeit a neglected species in invasion biology, can become extremely successful invaders of urban green areas: in < 5 years, rabbits were able to colonize our study area and become a food resource for native predators and also an iconic species. These three points raise concerns about the potential impacts of invasive feral rabbits in European urban green areas and call for further research in this direction.

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No country for native crayfish: importance of crustaceans in the diet of native and alien Northern raccoons

Boncompagni¹,

Molfini

Ciampelli

et al. 2021

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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Unsafe management of a zoological garden as a cause of introduction of an alien species into the wild: First documented case of feral naturalized population of Lama glama in Europe

Cited by 3 publications

References 40 publications

From the Andes to the Apennines: Rise and Fall of a Free-Ranging Population of Feral Llamas

From the Andes to the Apennines: Rise and Fall of a Free-Ranging Population of Feral Llamas

Feral rabbit populations in a peri-urban area: insights about invasion dynamics and potential management strategies

No country for native crayfish: importance of crustaceans in the diet of native and alien Northern raccoons

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