One of the most serious threat for the conservation of species of carnivores like bear, wolf and scavenger raptors like Egyptian vulture, red kite and, lammergeier is represented by the illegal use of poison.

The aim of the LIFE+ ANTIDOTO project, realized in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park (Italy), in the Andalusia Region (Spain) and the Aragon Region (Spain), is to adopt and disseminate innovative measures for the fight against the illegal use of poison.

The main actions of the project are:

• Training and exploiting of two anti-poison dog unit. Each unit is formed by a leader, by five dogs prepared in Andalusia that are enabled to locate different kind of poison, by forest rangers, handlers of the police and investigation activities, and by a pool of veterinaries, specialized in poisoned decoy and carcase diagnostic investigations.
  The units, one operative in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park and the other in Aragon Region, shall control the territory to locate the potential poisoned baits or corpses of wild or domestic animal dead for suspicious poisoning.
  
• Elaboration of a “Strategy against the illegal use of poison”, at Italian scale. This strategy will be elaborated involving authorities and Italian entities that are interested to this topic and will be the first reference in the fight against this harmful practice, giving the tools for investigation on this phenomenon and offering measures to be adopted at several fronts (increasing awareness, prevention, repression, etc...).
  
• The dissemination of the actions realized in the project areas. In particular, the dissemination of the efficiency of the anti-poison dog unit, unique tool indeed incisive in order to reduce of the impunity of the crime, will perform an important role in the poisoned bait use prevention.
  
• The dissemination at Italian scale of the activity of the anti-poison dog unit in order to promote the training of others ADU by authorities like Regional and Provincial Government and protected areas management entities.