Police intervene as protesters clash with residents over shot wolf Bram in Renswoude
Police intervened Sunday during a protest and memorial for a wolf shot earlier this month on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, after tensions erupted between demonstrators and local residents, RTV Utrecht reported. Meanwhile, wildlife experts are raising concerns about a new “problem wolf” in Drenthe, saying authorities appear unprepared to act quickly.
In Renswoude, demonstrators from Faunabescherming and Animal Rebellion held a memorial at the intersection of Barneveldsestraat and De Hooge Hoek for the wolf known as Bram, also referred to as GW3237m.
The wolf had been shot in early December after repeatedly attacking humans, including biting a woman on Landgoed Den Treek in May, assaulting a 6-year-old boy at the Pyramide van Austerlitz in July, and previously knocking down a toddler and jumping over a sheep enclosure.
Tensions escalated when around 100 local residents confronted the demonstrators. According to a police spokesperson, “there was a quarrelsome atmosphere” at the site, with reports of fireworks being set off. Officers deployed multiple vehicles to separate the groups, and by 3:30 p.m., the situation had calmed. No arrests were made.
A spokesperson for Animal Rebellion said demonstrators were shaken and plan to file complaints of violence against them. “A man tried to drive his car into the protesters. Counter-protesters struck several of the seventeen demonstrators. The police escorted our members to prevent injuries,” the spokesperson said.
Bram had been declared a problem wolf earlier this year after repeated aggressive encounters with humans. The province of Utrecht issued a shooting permit in July, citing experts’ assessments that Bram posed a direct threat. The wolf was ultimately killed only months later, following legal proceedings and an extended search.
Meanwhile, in Drenthe, authorities are confronting a similar situation. Footage from Dwingelderveld National Park reviewed by NU.nl shows a wolf closely following two hikers along a trail. Experts note that, like Bram, the wolf initially approached people cautiously but has begun exhibiting aggressive behaviors, raising safety concerns.
Drenthe’s provincial authorities are considering using a paintball rifle to tranquilize and tag the wolf, a method intended to condition the animal to avoid humans. However, previous attempts to use this approach in Utrecht were blocked in court.
Under current rules, a wolf may be killed immediately only in acute emergencies. Once immediate danger passes, a permit is required. The caretaker Secretary for Nature, Jean Rummenie, has previously indicated a desire to allow faster intervention in such cases.
