Suspected wolf attacks third child near Bari, parks closed as hunt intensifies

Attacks on children

A wild animal, believed to be a wolf or a wolf-dog hybrid, has attacked three children in Noicattaro, a town in the province of Bari, since early August. The first incident occurred on the evening of August 4, when two children were attacked; one six-year-old girl was seriously injured and admitted to intensive care, where she spent several days before recovering. On the evening of Ferragosto, August 15, around 23:00, a six-year-old child was attacked in a municipal park between via San Filippo Neri and via Rutigliano, where a group of families had gathered for the holiday evening. The animal was driven away by the shouts of adults and objects thrown at it. The child was taken to the Giovanni XXIII pediatric hospital in Bari, where he was treated in the pediatric surgery department for chest wounds, including rib fractures and a perforated lung, and placed under observation. A video of a presumed sighting of the animal was shared on social media.

Authorities respond

After the first attacks, a task force was established at the Prefecture of Bari in coordination with the Puglia Region to identify and capture the animal. On August 14, Puglia Region president Antonio Decaro signed a decree authorizing the removal and capture of the specimen, following an opinion from ISPRA, the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, which indicated the need to proceed with maximum urgency. The mayor of Noicattaro, Raimondo Innamorato, signed an ordinance closing the municipal park and public green areas near agricultural zones from 21:00 to 8:00. The ordinance, which has been extended several times and was not fully respected by residents, is set to expire on the morning of August 17 but may be renewed.

Search operations intensify

On the morning of August 16, Innamorato convened an urgent meeting with local police, veterinary ASL staff, and volunteers. A patrol of Carabinieri Forestali with a drone is monitoring the countryside surrounding Noicattaro, and additional phototraps have been installed. A DNA swab taken at the pediatric hospital in Bari has been sent to the zooprophylactic institute for analysis to confirm the species. The mayor himself encountered the animal at close range near the local sports hall on the night of the Ferragosto attack, having gone to the area based on citizen reports before learning that a child had been bitten. A new task force meeting is scheduled for the morning of August 17 at the Prefecture.

Community alarm

Residents have taken to social media to share sightings, including footage of the animal in a residential area, and to demand action. One man described hearing screams and seeing people flee near the Famila supermarket, adding that he heard the cries and panic of mothers anxious for their children. Another resident wrote that the concern is not collective hysteria but a desire to walk with children safely. Innamorato has repeatedly urged citizens to stay away from parks and green areas.

It is not a limitation of freedom, it is common sense and protection of public safety in the presence of a risk.

The mayor has also consulted with the prefect of Bari, Rossana Riflesso, the Region, the University of Bari, the CNR, and the Metropolitan Police.