The LIFE "Nature" Hungary team was interested in acquiring detailed information on four LIFE Nature projects carried out by the Gran Sasso-Laga Park in recent years: Antidoto and PLUTO projects, the latter still underway, and Praterie and EX-TRA projects, already completed.
These are interrelated projects in the common aim of promoting the conservation of biodiversity (in particular large carnivores and necrophagous raptors) and of the Park's mountain meadows. All this through actions aimed at preventing and combating the illegal use of poison against fauna, the mitigation of conflicts between breeders and predators, developping a virtuous and eco-sustainable breeding system.
The visit also offered the opportunity for a comparison between the technical-scientific Area of the Park and the experts who followed the development of the aforementioned LIFE projects on the most relevant aspects in the preparation of candidacies to be submitted to the European Commission.
The Hungarian team, accompanied by members of the LIFE contact point of the Italian Ministry of the Environment, has included a visit to the Gran Sasso-Laga Park within a larger study-trip organized as part of the LIFE CAP HUN project (LIFE Capacity Building in Hungary): the LIFE Nature projects of the Park were four of the eight Italian projects aimed at the conservation of various habitats and species that the Hungarian team has selected for this training visit.
On April 20, at the Assergi Park headquarters, ANTIDOTO and PLUTO projects were the subject of a detailed presentation to the benefit of the Hungarian colleagues as well as the EX-TRA and Praterie projects.
The presentation of LIFE ANTIDOTO and PLUTO projects focused on the use of the Anti-poison Dog Units, an irreplaceable tool in the fight against the use of poisoned mouthfuls that was first activated in Italy in the Park thanks to the LIFE ANTIDOTO project. It has been exported by the Carabinieri Commando to the parks in most of the peninsula with the formation of another 6 anti-poison dog units thanks to the LIFE PLUTO project.
The other key action of LIFE PLUTO project was also illustrated in detail to the Hungarian team: the creation of a feeding station for birds of prey in the Park, managed with the involvement of local farmers, in a perspective perfectly integrated with the strategies of the EX projects. -TRA and Praterie.
The LIFE Nature Hungarian team witnessed a demonstration of the research of poisoned bites carried out by the Anti-poison Dog Units of LIFE ANTIDOTO and PLUTO projects and knew details on the research techniques and training of dogs thanks to the explanations provided by the three drivers present and accompanied by a total of 5 dogs (the NCA of the Carabinieri Department of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park and the NCA of the Carabinieri Department of the Sibillini Mountains National Park).
