A wolf with its gaze fixated on something out of view. Photo Credit, Pixabay, Pexels
Wolves may well be a protected species according to EU law, but with attacks on domestic animals increasing, and the wily canines encroaching further into towns and villages, controversy surrounding the wild animals is rife.
Despite once roaming freely in regions across the continent, in the mid-19th century wolves were eradicated across most of Western Europe, surviving only in Spain and Italy, with the rest of the wolf population confined to the east by the barbed wire fencing of the Iron Curtain. When the barrier was removed in 1989, wolf packs began to cross the borders and spread across the continent once more. There are currently an astonishing 20,000 of the animals inhabiting countries within the EU, with a particularly high concentration in Holland. According to a study by the country´s wolf monitoring organisation (BIJ12), eleven packs of wolves have currently been logged as inhabiting the territory, comprising of some 140 individuals.
Wolf attacks on domestic animals are on the increase
Jos Van Roekel, whose 14-year-old daughter found her pony, Blackie, mauled and killed by a wolf just days ago in the north-west Veluwe region of Holland, spoke with British publication The Daily Mail, about his concerns. Jos and his wife have expressed their thoughts about the presence of wolves in the country (which is less than twice the size of Wales), and their fears that a child may be next, through a controversial Facebook post in which they show a photograph of their two youngest children sat looking at poor Blackie after her death. Jos told The Mail that “Something has to be done,” as “[Holland] is no place for wolves,” [David Jones, The Daily Mail, 12/10/2024]. A neighbour shared photos of the wolf still circulating the area after the attack, looking no less at home than a fox in a suburban area of the UK.
The incident comes after a spate of attacks on livestock as well as the death of 12-year-old terrier, Bruno, who was snatched from before his owner, Geertje de Mos´ eyes by a daring wolf whilst walking in the edge of woodlands in August. The woods are in a busy area, just a two-minute drive from Greetje´s local town of Harderwijk, and the distraught owner told The Mail that although Bruno managed to escape and run back to her, he sadly died three days later from a crushed pancreas.
The attack on Blackie the pony is not an isolated event. It was well publicised in 2022 that Dolly, beloved pony of President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was attacked and killed by a wolf, in von der Leyen´s home town of Lower Saxony in Germany. This has resulted in a campaign by the president to reduce the species´ legal protection. The wolf responsible for Dolly´s death, which was identified by conservationists as GW950m, and according to DNA has been responsible for a significant number of deaths of livestock – including other horses – was granted an exception to current laws of protection due to `posing a significant risk´, and a permit was issued allowing hunters to shoot him legally. However, to date the witty wolf has managed to elude those seeking him, and remains hidden [Patrick Barkham, The Guardian, 27/01/2024].
The wily wolves are getting braver
It appears that wolves, who are habitually shy and wary of humans, are growing accustomed to living near us, and are losing their inhibitions, resulting in them increasingly posing more danger to us, our pets, and worryingly, our children. Although no children have been killed by wolves in The Netherlands in recent times, back in the summer a child was reportedly the victim of a wolf encounter in the village of Austerlitz, a thickly forested region to the east of Utrecht, which is popular with hikers [Namita Singh, The Guardian, 01/08/2024]. Despite the shock of the occurrence and the resulting witness report from the carer of the child being somewhat vague, DNA found on the child proved the attack to have been instigated by a wolf, in an event that whilst rare, is certainly cause for concern.
Controversy is rife regarding the reintroduction of the wolves and its consequences
With EU directives prohibiting the culling or hunting of wolves, and animal activists supporting this decision, the conflicting views of members of the public that find themselves now sharing territory with the elusive canines are causing dispute. Controversial initiatives are already being considered by conservation groups to reintroduce wolves into some areas of Britain, with conservationists such as Derek Gow telling The Daily Mail that the Scottish Highlands, to quote one example, would “benefit from the release of up to 94 wolf packs” as it would “naturally cull [the population] of wild deer” whilst “enhancing biodiversity”.
Meanwhile, back in Holland, those who have experienced the fear of seeing a wolf in close proximity, or even worse, had a negative encounter with one, are wondering how far things have to go before action will be taken, and how many more pets and livestock will become victims to the determined canine predators.
