Wolf spotted on Veluwe; third wolf in Netherlands this year

A wolf was spotted on the Veluwe. Experts from wolf associations Wolven in Nederland and the Lupus Institute in Germany confirmed that the animal is indeed a wolf,based on photo material. After disappearing from the Netherlands around 150 years ago, this is the third wolf to cross the German border into the Netherlands this year, the Volkskrant reports.

The province of Gelderland launched the national wolf pan on Thursday, which means that terrain managers were asked for observations to confirm in which area the wolf was and is. According to the Mammal Society, the wolf was spotted between 't Harde and Arnhem over the past week. The society did not give an exact location, to prevent dozens of animal lovers flocking to the area and scaring the wolf off.

In March a dead wolf was found on the A29 between Meppel and Hoogeveen. The animal had been hit by a car. Research revealed that the 1.5 year old male wolf came from the Cuxhaven pack, which lives in the north of Germany. And in August, two sheep were killed by a wolf in northeastern Groningen.

The wolf population in Germany started growing again in the 90's, according to the newspaper. That this may start happening in the Netherlands as well, is a source of great excitement among wolf experts.

In 2015 a 61 page long guide to deal with wolves titled Operationeel Draaiboek Wolf was drawn up. The Netherlands is currently in stage one, according to the book. "There is occasionally a wandering wolf in the Netherlands." The next stages is that a wolf actually settles in our country. According to the book, the Dutch provinces have a major responsibility in guiding farmers and citizens in living together with wolves, something Dutch haven't done in generations.

Following this instruction, the province of Gelderland reassured residents on Thursday that the chance of running into a wolf is very small. "The province advises keeping at a distance, keeping dogs leashed and leaving the wolf alone." Wolves are very shy animals and tend to stay away from people. The animals feed mainly on wild hoofed animals, like deer, but may also kill sheep and goats. Farmers who lose livestock to a wolf, can report it to the Faunafonds to see if they qualify for compensation.