No Belgian or Dutch person grew up with the idea that wolves live in the nearby nature. For over 100 years, the wolf had disappeared from our environment. By the end of the 19th century, wolves were increasingly coming into conflict with humans, and you can guess how that ended back then.
Return of the Wolf
However, in recent years, the wolf has returned to the Low Countries. This time, the animal is protected by a completely different moral code regarding the treatment of wild animals.
The entrance of the wild animals is not without controversy. On one hand, there is joy over the glorious return of the wolf, but there are also concerns about the protection of herds of sheep and other vulnerable animals that live in relative freedom.
15 Fallow Deer Killed
It was observed last weekend that wolves do not always manage to distinguish between wild prey and animals in private property, in Holiday Park Hengelhoef, just across the Dutch border in Belgian Limburg.
A group of fallow deer was attacked by multiple wolves, resulting in the death of 15 animals. The animals lived in a three-hectare enclosed area. The wolves deliberately entered the site, as indicated by park manager Jos Mennen at Telegraaf.
“All unprotected small livestock is at risk”
Wolf expert Jan Loos mentioned in the same newspaper that all unprotected small livestock in the region is at risk. A trend that is becoming increasingly worrying in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Earlier this year, several horses were killed nearby in Meeuwen, and just across the border in Someren, the Netherlands, two Scottish Highland cows were killed on the heath.
“They are intelligent animals that don’t forget where there is food to be found. This could be in a few months or even years. But the day they return is almost certain,” said Loos.
€16,000 for Reporting the Hunter
Aside from concerns about vulnerable small livestock, there are also concerns about the wolf. Earlier this month, a shot wolf was found in the Veluwe. The Faunabescherming then offered a reward of €16,000, hoping for tips that would lead to the capture of the perpetrator.
What do you think? Is there a place for wolves in the Netherlands and Belgium? Let us know on Facebook.
