Animal rights organization disapproves of potential permits for shooting wolf

The Fauna Protection organization does not think wolves should be allowed to be shot on the Heuvelrug in Utrecht. Chairman Niko Koffeman called it a "hopeless exercise" and referred to recent verdicts made by the Court of Justice of the European Union. They ruled that the wolf could not be shot in Austria and Spain because the protection of the species could be improved. This ruling applies to all EU countries.

The province of Utrecht said that they are preparing a shooting permit for a wolf that is possibly connected to two incidents with people. But according to Koffeman, it is "completely unthinkable" that the wolves in Utrecht will be shot at this.

That will only be allowed to change if the wolf starts acting more aggressively toward people, and Koffeman says that is not the case at this time. He claims that only minor incidents have been reported thus far.

According to Koffeman, a wolf pair with five cubs and another "wolf who is a sor" of "curious teenager" live in the province of Utrecht. The wolf pair that live by the Den Treek estate has only been "protective to young people," said Koffeman. He added that the pair lived on the Leusder Heide first, which is a military practice area. "They moved when the army started shooting."

Koffeman said that Fauna Protection will go straight to court if a shooting permit is approved. Fauna Protection has taken a case to court before, with success in May when they reversed a decision for Gelderland to be able to scare a wolf away with a paintball gun in the Veluwe.