Wolf pups spotted in northern Netherlands for first time

A wildlife camera in the north of the country captured images of three wolf pups. Their parents are likely a wolf pair that has been living in the woods on the border of southwest Drenthe and southeast Friesland since 2021. According to the wolf association Wolven in Nederland, this is the first time there is a wolf pack outside the Veluwe.

The she-wolf of the pair has a territory on the border of Drenthe and Friesland and comes from Lower Saxony in Germany. The origin of the male is unknown, said BIJ12, the agency that manages wolf issues for the provinces, among other things.

Earlier this year, two wolf pairs in the Veluwe also had pups. There are now two wolf packs on the Veluwe. Young wolves of the pair that first settled in the Netherlands are now also looking for their own territory. Researchers regularly find these wolves’ DNA in other places in the country. Wolves have now appeared throughout the Netherlands, except in Zuid-Holland.

The wolf experts are deliberately not disclosing exactly where the wolf pups were spotted in the north of the country. They warn that people should leave the animals alone. The presence of humans can prevent the parents from caring for their young. Holidaymakers must adhere to the rules in the forests on the border of Friesland and Drenthe, BIJ12 said.