The examination of excreted fur and bone fragments has revealed that red deer and roe deer are a favourite item on the wolves' menu. The collected carcasses of ungulate indicate that wolves are the principal cause of death in red deer. Farm animals accounted for a surprisingly low share of the prey, at 7 per cent. Indeed, in the French and Swiss Alps farm animals are prey to wolves far more often as the density of farm animals is higher than in Italy's western Alps.
Sources: Journal of Zoology 266; pages 205-213 (2005); www.nzz.ch/2005/07/06/ft/articleCWMLK.html (de)