Over 40 sheep mauled to death in apparent wolf attack in Ede

In Ede, 41 sheep were killed in the night from Wednesday to Thursday. Several sheep were also so injured that a veterinarian had them put to sleep, according to the municipality of Ede and the agricultural organization LTO. Several other animals were treated by a veterinarian. The sheep were in the Noord-Ginkel heathland for nature management. Almost half of the herd of 88 animals was killed.

Chairman Wim Brouwer of the Gelderse Vallei branch of the agricultural organization LTO is certain that the wolf is behind the attack, partly due to the nature of the injuries to the animals. He thinks that multiple wolves are involved, because so many animals were killed at the same time. Several wolves live in the area around Ede. According to the organization BIJ12, which is active for the provinces, sheep have been killed by wolves several times in Ede and the surrounding area in recent years.

The municipality speaks of a suspected wolf attack. BIJ12 has taken DNA samples from the sheep, which can show whether they were wolves and how many.

According to the municipality, the herd was protected by a fence BIJ12 had advised to protect sheep. The fences had been checked on Wednesday and were in order at that time, the municipality reported on Thursday. "The province was on site today and is investigating whether the fence indeed met the requirements and how it is possible that it did not help to protect the sheep. The municipality is awaiting the outcome."

According to Brouwer, the sheep farmer is "very, very upset." "It is a sheep farmer who was seriously affected by bluetongue last year. If you have been working with the animals with a certain feeling and now 47 have died because of a wolf, then your courage sinks into your shoes." According to him, things are "completely getting out of hand" with the wolf.

Edese alderman Jan Pieter van der Schans calls it "terrible to hear" that so many sheep have been killed. "As a municipality, we need sheep for forest management. They help us with nature maintenance and contribute to nature restoration. As a municipality, we have already called on the national government and the province several times to actively implement a policy on wolf management. After today, I will once again draw a thick line under that," he says in a statement.

Number of attacks on animals will decrease over time, says wolf expert

Maurice La Haye, wolf expert and team leader of land and sea mammals at the Mammal Society, expects the number of wolf attacks on sheep will decrease in the long term. This is because more farmers are taking wolf-repellent measures, but also because the wolves present are increasingly aware of where to find wild prey in their habitat.

According to La Haye, we are currently in a transitional period in the Netherlands. Five years ago, the first wolf settled in our country, and since then, the number has grown to 51 specimens last winter. The number of wolf attacks is also increasing. "The wolves still have to learn where to find food in which part of the year," La Haye explains. "Over the years, they learn where to find deer and wild boar and will therefore focus more on wild prey animals instead of sheep."

In addition, it is expected that wolves will be less likely to strike because more and more landowners are taking measures. According to La Haye, this is currently still quite disappointing. Of the wolf attacks in the first three months of this year, more than nine out of ten landowners had not taken the prescribed measures.

According to La Haye, some farmers do not want this on principle: "They say: man is above the wolf and the wolf must leave the Netherlands. As soon as they take measures, they accept that the wolf is there." In addition, there is a group that does want to, but under pressure from neighbors, does not take wolf-repellent measures. "And there are farmers for whom it is very difficult to protect their animals," he says. "They put their sheep in a different place every time, and then it is a lot of work to move the fences every time."

In several provinces, subsidies are available for landowners to take preventive measures, but according to the wolf expert, government support is too limited. Fences are expensive, as they take a lot of time to install, and they also need to be maintained. That is why La Haye advocates better financial support and the use of wolf consultants. They can advise farmers on what measures they can take and also help install the fences. "If we decide that the wolf is allowed to live here, we must also actively help farmers to protect their animals."