Wild Animals

Only 1% of Italians hunt, whereas 78.8% of citizens are against it. Regardless, hunting kills roughly 100 million animals every year in Italy. The count grows, when adding dozens and dozens of accidental human deaths and injuries. 

The hunting season in Italy goes from September to the end of January, although hunting permits are often issued also in other periods of the year, for selection hunting, or "wildlife management plans" which allow the hunters to kill any animal species also in no-hunting zones.

LAV demands the abolition of hunting, opposes  any pro-hunting measures adopted by local governments, provides assistance to citizens harassed by hunters, brings its peaceful protest everywhere. 

Besides those decimated by hunters, many more animals are butchered unlawfully by poachers using hunting methods prohibited by law. Animals are deceivingly captured and brutally killed, using “spring snares” (bicycle brakes turned into loop knots), traps and “bow traps” (snap traps where passerines bleed to death after hours of torturing agony). Poaching victims include “hunting” dogs, poisoned out of envy as they are indispensable to rival hunters. To put an end to such brutality, LAV cooperates with law enforcement authorities, and patrols the territory with LAV guards.

LAV is also engaged in fostering peaceful cohabitation with urban wild animals such as pigeons which, due to a favourable microclimate, abundant food and lack of natural predators, have colonised cities in great numbers. To this end, LAV promotes bloodless means of birth control, as an alternative to capturing and killing which should only be used as a last resort.

Often the target of vicious cull plans, the so-called “alien” animals are under cross-fire. Coypus, grey squirrels, red-eared sliders, wels catfish: non-native species accused of invading the local habitat and causing alleged harm! Invasions for which humans are solely responsible, and whose control measures have consequences affecting exclusively the animals.

LAV objects to culling, advocating for bloodless control methods, and, first and foremost, supporting a ban on "alien species" trade, as the only real, definitive solution to the "invasion".