Research at the universities of Utrecht and Wageningen into a dead wolf

Usually, the results of the investigations are announced after a few months, but because this is a special case, the results will be available in about two weeks, BIJ12, the agency that handles wolf cases for the provinces, expects. (saliva) samples were taken from the killed animal for DNA testing. Examination of the DNA indicates whether it was a male or a female.

It can also be determined where the wolf came from. This is possible, because a DNA profile of all wolves that have ever appeared in Europe is kept by the CEwolf consortium. CEwolf stands for Central European wolf population and extends over western Poland, Germany, Denmark and the Benelux.

The wolf in Wapse has DNA from a father and a mother, so it can be determined whether it was an animal new to the Netherlands or a descendant of a known wolf pair. Presumably the shot wolf belonged to the pack in the Drents-Friese Wold, since Wapse is not far from there. The province of Drenthe can also request urgent action for this investigation, but it is not yet known whether this has happened.

An examination of the cadaver is necessary to see if the animal may have had something that made it more likely to bite. It can also be determined whether the wolf was injured because the sheep farmer tried to drive the predator away with a shovel. No human has ever been bitten since the wolf returned to the Netherlands. Wolf experts state that the wolf did not attack, but defended itself against an attack.

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