Court denies Gelderland permission to shoot wolf that bit runner

The preliminary relief judge at the District Court of Gelderland has denied the province of Gelderland permission to shoot a wolf in De Hoge Veluwe that bit a runner earlier this spring. The judge ruled that the province had not adequately demonstrated why killing the animal was necessary. Animal Rights and the Fauna Protection Association had asked the judge to suspend the order.

Wildlife managers received permission in May to shoot the wolf, nicknamed Hubertus. Animal rights groups appealed the decision but were unsuccessful. Hunters struggled to locate and carry out the shooting, and the permit expired on January 1.

To address this, the province recently issued a specialized permit to extend the authorization for six more months. The permit also expanded the search area to include Vliegbasis Deelen, adjacent to De Hoge Veluwe, where Hubertus and his pack are frequently spotted.

The province argued that the wolf had been involved in several incidents with people. The judge, however, noted that no such incidents have occurred since April and that the wolf has not approached humans.

“Lately, he spends the day in areas with little human presence and hunts in De Hoge Veluwe at night,” the ruling states. The judge described the situation as a dilemma, since the predator has displayed no problematic behavior for eight months.

The judge ruled that the province’s justification, supported by expert advice for killing the wolf, was outdated and “partly unclear and insufficiently substantiated.”

Wolves have been a protected species in the Netherlands since their return in recent years. European and national laws provide strict protection, so wolves cannot be killed, captured, or disturbed without a clear legal justification.

This decision comes a few weeks after hunters killed a wolf in Utrecht. The province had issued a culling permit for the wolf known as “GW3237m” or “Bram” after DNA tests confirmed that the wolf had attacked several people in the area.