The wolf that was captured up close by photographers several times in the Drents-Friese Wold may have to deal with a horn or firecrackers. The animal should be so frightened by the loud noise that it no longer ventures near people, is the idea of the province of Drenthe and the municipality of Westerveld, among others.
It is very undesirable that a wolf is no longer afraid of people, because then serious problems can arise, according to the planners. These are Staatsbosbeheer, the provinces of Drenthe and Friesland and the municipalities of Westerveld and Ooststellingwerf.
At the end of last year, a young wolf showed up in the hamlet of Oude Willem, on the Drenthe-Frisian provincial border. His appearance attracted dozens of nature photographers and other interested parties.
Ultimately, a road through the nature reserve had to be closed because people started rattling bowls of food to attract the animal and probably also fed it, Staatsbosbeheer said. The wolf therefore lost his shyness. Visitors also did not adhere to the rules in nature and caused dangerous situations on the narrow road.
The road is now open again, because the wolf has not been seen near Oude Willem for a while, says the province of Friesland, but it could appear again. The measures to deter the animal have not yet been used. Not many measures can be taken against a wolf, because the animal has a protected status. Chasing the animal away with a horn or firecrackers seems legally permitted, writes the ANP news agency.
Some sheep herders on the Veluwe have been carrying a gas horn for some time to deter a possible wolf. It is not known whether this method is very successful.