Xinhua Rome, January 19 (Xinhua) A list of endangered animals released by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) shows that 70 of Italy's 110 native mammals are endangered.

WWF is very worried about the status of bat species, and believes that excessive use of pesticides, poor forest management and increased human activities have led to a sharp decline in the number of bats in recent years. The situation of otters is also worrying. Otters are common mammals in Italy, but the number of Italian native otters has been declining in recent decades, with only 260 existing. According to WWF, the reason for the dramatic decrease in the number of Italian otters is the continuous destruction and pollution of their habitats.

Mediterranean monk seal, once a "frequent visitor" to Italian beaches, has become one of the endangered species. At present, it is estimated that there are only 350 to 450 Mediterranean monk seals in the world, most of which are distributed in Greece and Turkey. WWF said that the decrease in the number of Mediterranean monk seals was due to the destruction of their habitats by human fishing activities. Although some achievements have been made in the construction of protected areas and the implementation of anti capture measures in the Mediterranean monk seal activity areas, the prospect of this population is still not optimistic.

In addition, the number of Italian wolves is decreasing. In the 1970s, Italy took protective measures to increase the number of wolves from 100 to about 800 in less than 40 years. However, in order to protect sheep and other animals vulnerable to wolves, Italians hunted wolves in large numbers, resulting in a decrease in the number of wolves in the territory.