This soundtrack was recorded in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. Imagine hearing this at night, in the woods; it will send a tingle up your spine.
Photo: Peter Lee
What’s you’re listening to is the sound of rutting deer and a howling wolf pack in the central Apennines. About 500 wolves still roam those mountains and the western Alps in Italy.
The Italian Wolf is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf that averages in size about 25 to 35 kilograms. They roam the mountains in pack of two to seven individuals, preying on rabbits, mice and other small mammals.
The wolf is, of course, inextricably linked with Italian culture. In Roman mythology, a she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, who went on to found an empire.
Often, hearing wolves is far easier than seeing them.