A wolf approached people on the Dwingelderveld yesterday afternoon. Images shared by hiker Johan ten Brink on Facebook show the wolf following him and a fellow hiker.
The meeting between the people and the wolf took place behind the Van der Valk hotel near Spier. “I was walking along the boardwalk with a friend and made a joke about the wolf. And then we actually came across one,” Ten Brink looks back. “That wolf stopped about eight meters in front of us. Then we turned around and walked to the car.”
The wolf then decided to chase the two hikers. “Then you have to be on your guard,” says Ten Brink. “Although I am not easily scared, because I have been a security guard and have experienced enough exciting situations. I started filming the wolf with my phone, because otherwise many people would not believe this story.”
The images show that the animal is biting towards Ten Brink’s calves. “Fortunately, they were feints. To be honest, I wasn’t wearing a very good coat either, which looked like a sheepskin. I better not wear that the next time I go for a walk.” Eventually the wolf seems to give up and the distance between the animal and the walkers increases.
The wolf’s behavior is characterized as ‘very undesirable’. “A wolf must be wild and shy and keep its distance from people,” says Maurice la Haye of the Mammal Society.
Incidents involving wolves have occurred more frequently on the Dwingelderveld in recent weeks. At the end of November, a wolf came close to walkers with dogs. The province then advised against coming to the nature reserve with dogs.
It is unclear whether it is always the same wolf. The wolf plan that the provinces published in April this year states that when a wolf has become increasingly accustomed to the presence of people, this can lead to a ‘problem situation’.
The province has announced that it is aware of the pursuit and is now indeed calling it a ‘problem situation’. “To prevent it from becoming a problem wolf, we are working with all parties involved to see what measures we can implement,” says a spokesperson.
If it turns out that the province or mayor, in consultation with experts, determines that measures to unlearn the unwanted behavior do not work or are not feasible, then the wolf becomes a ‘problem wolf’ according to the province. A finishing permit will then be granted.
The province of Drenthe announced on Tuesday that a shooting permit is being prepared for ‘problem wolf’ GW4890m. This wolf is a descendant of the pack in the Drents-Friese Wold and attacked sheep near Beilen at least four times in the past period. This happened despite the sheep being behind an approved wolf-resistant fence.
Two wolves also died this week. One was probably hit by a car (a male), and the cause of death of the other (a female) is unknown.
Watch Johan ten Brink’s video in which the wolf follows the walkers: