Playing Drenthe wolf cubs seen for the first time

Two males (males) and a female appeared in front of the wildlife camera in the summer. It is the offspring of the wolf couple that has been present in Southwest Drenthe for over a year. The images show the animals chewing on a branch, running around and playing with each other. Hans Hasper, provincial coordinator of the Wolvenmeldpunt, has found the so-called ‘rendezvous place’ of the wolves after a lot of research: “This is the place where parents leave the cubs when they go hunting.” It is a quiet place in the forest where the cubs have to enjoy themselves for hours until the parents return with food.

The images provide Hasper, who has been monitoring wolves in Drenthe and the Veluwe for years, a wealth of information. He sees that the cubs are well fed, that at first glance they have no ailments such as mange or have broken anything. “They look very healthy,” he says.

There are several of these places in the forest. The older the cubs are, the further it is from the ‘whelping den’. Now that they are six months old, they are taught how to hunt by their parents. “They are already fully-fledged wolves: they are even a bit bigger than their parents. They are gradually going on the road with the parents.” The parents had deer, hares, but also sheep as prey. The young wolves learn to catch a wild animal, but there is also a chance that they will learn to catch sheep. “It is high time to join forces and protect our livestock,” said Hasper.

It is not yet known whether the cubs will eventually set up their own pack in Drenthe. “Most youngsters leave when they are about one and a half or two years old. It sometimes happens that they make some wanderings when they are about nine months old. They can also set up a pack somewhere here in Drenthe, but it is also possible in Germany That’s looking at coffee grounds.”

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