The wolf that was shot on July 9 after biting a hobby farmer in Wapse, Drenthe, came from the pack in the Drents-Friese region.
It was a young male and a descendant of the she-wolf that settled in the area in 2021. This has emerged from DNA research carried out by a research institute at Wageningen University.
The wolf killed two sheep and a goat and injured another sheep. This has also been established after DNA testing. The bitten cattle farmer had a wolf-resistant fence around his pasture. An independent appraiser and a provincial supervisor have confirmed this, according to the province of Drenthe. Nevertheless, the wolf managed to get into the meadow.
declarations
When the rancher saw his sheep and goats being attacked, he tried to drive the wolf away with at least a shovel. He didn’t open the fence around the pasture to let the wolf escape, because he was afraid the predator would run to his house. The wolf got cornered and bit.
The Public Prosecution Service has received at least two reports from animal rights organizations, who believe that the wolf did not attack, but defended itself. In that case shooting would not be allowed. Illegal disturbing, chasing or shooting at a wolf carries a prison sentence of up to three years, as the animal is protected at European level. The OM is still investigating the case.
Last week it turned out that the first wolf cubs of this year were also seen in Drenthe. Whether those cubs are new descendants of the pack in the Drents-Friese region is not yet known, but it is likely. There are also wolf packs in the Veluwe, but no young descendants have yet been seen, according to wolf experts. In Drenthe, wolves attack many more sheep and other animals than in Gelderland. That’s because the packs on the Veluwe have enough game to hunt.