Court allows Gelderland to shoot wolves with paintball guns
The province of Gelderland can shoot paintballs at wolves in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, the Central Netherlands District Court ruled on Wednesday. After several previous rulings ordering the province to do more research, Gelderland has now sufficiently substantiated that it is necessary to deter wolves in the nature reserve and that the paintball gun is the best way to do so, the court said on Wednesday.
The province came up with the plan to shoot paintballs at wolves in De Hoge Veluwe National Park to deter them from humans last year. According to the province, there as at least one wolf in the park exhibiting problem behavior that could lead to dangerous situations. The Fauna Protection organization objected to the plan.
In September last year, the court determined in an interim ruling that Gelderland’s plan was carelessly prepared and insufficiently motivated. Among other things, the province did not conclusively show that the wolf was exhibiting problem behavior and did not sufficiently explore alternatives to the paintball gun.
In the intervening months, Gelderland consulted a wolf behavior expert who has extensive experience studying and researching the animal. His report identified 14 observations of wolves in De Hoge Veluwe Park and concluded that one or more wolves exhibit anormal behavior. There is a female wolf, for example, who is letting photographers approach her but also seeks out cyclists and hikers herself. “The expert concludes that this deviant behavior poses a serious threat to public safety,” the court said. Another wolf expert from the University of Ljubljana confirmed the findings.
According to the court, the province “sufficiently substantiated with expert reports” that using a paintball gun to deter wolves is the “best option and that there are no effective and proportionate alternatives.” The expert concluded that if the paintball gun is used correctly and not aimed at the animal’s eyes, it is a safe tool.
“The court is of the opinion that the province has sufficiently substantiated with the additional motivation that there is no other satisfactory solution than shooting the wolf with a paintball gun and that it is necessary in the interest of public safety,” the court said. That interest outweighs the interest of leaving the protected species undisturbed, the court said.
