THE ITALIAN ROE DEER

Capreolus capreolus ssp. italicus (Festa, 1925)

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Distribution

The Italian Roe deer’s nucleus of origin is central-southern Italy: Gargano, Pollino, Monti di Orsomarso and Tenuta of Castel Porziano, however it is also present in some areas of southern Tuscany, mainly in the provinces of Siena and Grosseto. The area you are observing hosts a nucleus of Italian Roe deer. Recent genetic studies carried out on historical populations of the Italian Roe deer, have confirmed their diversity from the European Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus capreolus – Linnaeus, 1758).

Given its restricted distribution and loss of genetic identity caused by crossing with the European Roe deer, the subspecies of the Italian Roe deer is considered a vulnerable species (VU) and is thus on the Italian “red list” of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). As a result of its conservation status, in 2021, the  Wildlife Park initiated a conservation project (in collaboration with the Tuscany Region and the Semproniano “Centro Recupero Animali Selvatici” (CRAS), a local animal rescue centre) to protect the genetic heritage of the Italian Roe deer, with the aim of breeding new specimens and reintroducing the species back into nature reserves. The park began the project with a small group of rescued young deer that had either suffered trauma as a result of collisions with vehicles or been orphaned during the birthing season. The animals now live in a state of semi-freedom within a fenced area of woodland and pasture.