Wolves have a poor image because they eat the shepherds' sheep, but they were also feared because of the traditional Catholic belief that they are the reincarnation of the devil. However, what finally convinced the villagers to change their opinions was their wallets. Just beyond the village of Civitella is a fenced-off area with wolves. Local children began to imitate their howls and, much to their surprise, the wolves responded. This spectacle attracted numerous tourists, and the 300 residents of Civitella saw their incomes skyrocket.
Recent figures show that tourism has given the village the highest per capita income in Italy.
And this was previously a region where people lived in extreme poverty. There was hardly any work, and anyone who had the chance, left. Two bears Roberta Latini admits that sometimes the love of animals can go too far. She laughs as she tells about two female bears who got to feel at home in one of the mountain villages. There was an abundance of food and the villagers, who came to see them as pets, did not chase them away.