Wolves suspected to have eaten a number red deer fawns in Veluwe

Wolves in the Netherlands have significantly impacted the number of red deer in Zuid-West Veluwe ranger Frank Theunissen from Natural Monuments said in the BNNVARA-program Vroege Vogels. Rangers suspected that the wolf was responsible for the disappearance of many red deer fawns in the past summer.

Hunters have been told not to shoot does or fawns due to the already low number of young red deer.

Hugh Jansman from Wageningen Environmental Research said humans still have the most considerable impact on the dear population which makes it difficult to determine the exact extent the role of the wolf plays in the red deer population number.

Jansman said that a total of 34 wolves has been spotted in the Netherlands in the past six years. "Deer and boars no longer dare to graze everywhere because the risk of being caught is greater." Five of the wolves decided to stay in the Netherlands.

Most wolves in the Netherlands came from Germany, while a few also stem from the Swiss/Italian Alpine region.

The wolves' territory in the Netherlands now spans around 200 square kilometers. In reality, a wolf pack would require a region five times that size. Yet, if including forest areas outside of the Netherlands, it is possible to imagine a liveable habitat for the wolves.

In a report on the return of the wolf, Jansman said they "advised to review the hunting plans in the Netherlands because we now know the impact the wolf can have."