Wolf attacks on livestock hit record high in early 2025, mostly in Gelderland

The number of confirmed wolf attacks on sheep and other livestock in the Netherlands has surged. In the first three months of 2025, 368 attacks were registered, compared with 266 during the same period last year. In approximately 90 percent of these cases, landowners had reportedly failed to implement sufficient preventive measures to protect their animals.

This information comes from an analysis conducted by the ANP news agency based on data from BIJ12, the organization responsible for managing wolf-related issues on behalf of the provinces.

Most attacks occurred in the northeastern provinces, with Gelderland experiencing the highest number of incidents at 148 this year. Friesland and Drenthe follow with roughly eighty attacks each.

In Groningen, the number of confirmed wolf attacks increased sharply from two in all of 2024 to sixteen so far in 2025. In contrast, Noord-Brabant reported no wolf attacks for the first time since early 2022.

The actual number of wolf attacks may be higher than reported. Reporting attacks to BIJ12 is voluntary, and only cases where wolf involvement is certain have been counted.