Law 281 of 1991 lays down the law that protects the cats of Rome. Cats were already protected in ancient Roman times: they were considered sacred to the Goddess Diana and highly regarded as pest control and also as companions, as depicted abundantly in frescoes from wealthy Roman houses in Pompeii.
In modern times, the city of Rome passed Law 281 which defined legal protection for cats and set out punishments for violations of this law. The law states that: Harming a cat is a crime punishable by law.
Marsican brown bear. The Marsican brown bear is the symbol of animal protection in Italy.
Herons, cranes and other birds
The Tiber and the other rivers flowing in and outside Rome provide a natural habitat for many species of birds. Pelicans and cranes have been observed closer to the coast, even at the airport at Fiumicino, along with flamingoes and other aquatic birds like the egret.
Many animals were considered sacred to the ancient Greeks and Romans; for example, Snakes in the worship of Apollo, Dionysus, and Asclepius, Pigs in the cult of Demeter, Bees and Bears in the cult of Artemis.
The Apennine wolf is the national animal of Italy. It's symbolism dates back to the mythological story of Romulus and Remus. According to legend, a shewolf discovered the infant twins and kept them alive via interbreed suckling. Eventually, humans took the boys in, and they went on to found Rome.
But above all other ancient Roman animals it was the elephant which became a symbol of Roman power and the success of its Emperors.
The she-wolf from the legend of Romulus and Remus was regarded as a symbol of Rome from ancient times. Several ancient sources refer to statues depicting the wolf suckling the twins.
Lions were rare in Ancient Rome and human sacrifice was banned there by Numa Pompilius in the 7th century BC, according to legend. Damnatio ad bestias appeared there not as a spiritual practice but rather a spectacle.
Cats were already protected in ancient Roman times: they were considered sacred to the Goddess Diana and highly regarded as pest control and also as companions, as depicted abundantly in frescoes from wealthy Roman houses in Pompeii.
Italians love cats so much that there are laws to protect feral cat colonies. Cats can freely roam wherever they want – even in famous historic landmarks. Anyone who harms a cat in Italy can be charged with a crime.
Bats, great crested newts, hazel dormice, water voles and badgers are examples of protected species with specific legislative protection.
As such, the story of the foundation of Rome by the twins is a key part of the Roman – and hence the Italian – psyche. This is also why the wolf is regarded as the national animal of Rome.
The supplicia canum ("punishment of the dogs") was an annual sacrifice of ancient Roman religion in which live dogs were suspended from a furca ("fork") or cross (crux) and paraded.
Nevertheless, the Romans primarily used elephants for spectacle. The first actually to fight in the Circus was in 99 BC; twenty years later, an elephant fought against bulls (VIII. vi. 19).
Nero brought in 300 lions and 400 bears, and during the 100 days of parties and games arranged by Titus for the inauguration of the Colosseum in AD 80 9,000 animals were killed.
[Pliny, Natural History, 8.54. 11] Crocodiles were especially fascinating to the Romans and came via the empire's exploration and dominance over the Egyptian Nile. In 58 BCE Marcus Aemilius Scaurus brought back crocodiles and hippopotami to the capital.
Dogs were highly valued in ancient Rome, as they were in other cultures, and the Roman dog served many of the same purposes as it did in, say, Egypt and Persia - as hunters, guardians, and companions - but with a significant difference in focus.
Some of the most important pets during the Ancient Roman times were dogs. Dogs were very popular and one of the most popular dogs were the greyhound dogs. There were also other breeds of dogs such as the Laconian, the Molossian and the Veraguas which were all ancestors of the greyhound dog.
Rome, the “Eternal City,” brims with ancient history, from the Colosseum to the port of Ostia Antica to majestic Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel. Because of its history, art, architecture, and beauty – and perhaps its gelato and pasta! – Rome is one of our most popular cities.
The reason why the wolf is considered the symbol of Italy is because the legend says that the twins brothers who founded the city of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were raised by a she-wolf who cared for and protected them from wild animals as she raised them as her own children.
All native birds, reptiles, mammals and amphibians are protected in Queensland, along with a limited range of invertebrates, freshwater fish and the grey nurse shark. All plants that are indigenous to Australia are protected.
The following animals are not covered: farm animals used for food or fiber (fur, hide, etc.); coldblooded species (amphibians and reptiles); horses not used for research purposes; fish; invertebrates (crustaceans, insects, etc.); or birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus that are bred for use in ...