Hide-and-Seek in a Highly Human-Dominated Landscape: Insights into Movement Patterns and Selection of Resting Sites of Rehabilitated Wolves (Canis lupus) in Northern Italy

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In the last decades, a significant recovery and natural expansion of the wolf (Canis lupus) populations has occurred across Europe. This remarkable recolonisation was made possible by the high plasticity of the species, which was crucial in such a human-altered environment. Despite re-establishing within their former distribution range, understanding the behavioural responses adopted by this large carnivore to navigate in an increasingly anthropogenic world remains challenging. In this study, we investigated the movement ecology of three rehabilitated wolves in one of the most human-dominated landscapes of Europe, the Po Plain in Northern Italy, and obtained preliminary evidence of the ability of wolves to spatio-temporally segregate from human activities. We observed that (i) when wolves settled, they made considerably longer daily movements; (ii) when dispersing, wolves were more nocturnal in order to avoid encounters with humans; (iii) long-distance movements were aided by the availability of small-wooded patches used as resting areas. Our results provide important insight into the movement patterns of wolves in anthropogenic ecosystems, which may be used to inform future management actions that aim to facilitate wolf dispersal and settlement in human-dominated landscapes and to reduce human–wolf encounters, with the goal of promoting coexistence. ABSTRACT: Assessing the behavioural responses of floating wolves to human presence is crucial for investigating the chance of wolf populations expanding into urbanised landscapes. We studied the movement ecology of three rehabilitated wolves in a highly human-dominated landscape (Po Plain, Italy) to explore wolf’s plasticity amid widespread human pressure. To reach this aim, we estimated individual 95% utilisation distributions (UD) after the release and inspected both 95% UDs and net squared displacements to identify individual movement patterns; tested for differences in movement patterns during day and night; and analysed the selection of resting sites during dispersal movement in a highly human-altered environment. Both the 95% UDs and step lengths were smaller for wolves settling in suitable areas than for those settling in more urbanised areas. All wolves exhibited strong temporal segregation with humans during all movement phases, particularly while dispersing across highly urbanised areas. Main roads and proximity to built-up areas were shown to limit wolves’ dispersal, whereas small-wooded patches that provide shelter during rest facilitated long-distance movements. This study provides important insights into wolf movement and settling in urban and peri-urban areas, providing critical knowledge to promote human–carnivore coexistence.