DNA confirms that wolf was involved in incident with girl in Leusden

A wolf was indeed involved in an incident in Leusden in which a girl sustained minor injuries earlier this month, the province of Utrecht confirmed. Wolf DNA was found on the clothing the child was wearing that day, NOS reports.

On July 16th, children from an after-school care center were playing at the Den Treek nature reserve when a wolf approached the girl from behind and bit her in the side, the childminders said. The wolf immediately let go, but the child got such a fright that she fell and got hurt.

The province was initially unable to confirm whether it was indeed a wolf in the incident. Investigation of the girl’s clothing has now established that.

The nature reserve is home to a wolf and her cubs. The wolf, "therefore, behaves very defensively towards dogs and people who come too close,” the province said. A dog disappeared on the estate a week before the incident with the girl. A week later, four sheep were found dead a few kilometers away.

The municipality of Leusden has closed Den Treek to cyclists and walkers until August 15. The province of Utrecht also advised people to avoid the estate for the time being.