Animal rights org. fighting for wolves to keep protected species status

The Fauna Protection Foundation will do everything in its power to protect the wolf's legally protected status. It will go to court if necessary, said Niko Koffeman of the foundation. The province of Utrecht has been sent an application for a permit to give a transmitter to a wolf that, according to experts, has come too close to people on a few occasions or, in extreme cases, to shoot it with a paintball gun.

Koffeman called the wolf in question "a somewhat bold adolescent wolf on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug that has not harmed anyone. Its behavior does not justify invasive intervention such as capturing, tranquilizing, attaching transmitters or shooting paintballs."

Animal Rights also recently stated that it is not a dangerous wolf and that the paintball gun does not need to be used. The organization also pointed out that nothing has been heard from this animal for some time.

Koffeman believes that these measures should also not be used against the wolf pair with cubs in the nature reserve near Leusden. A wolf took a puppy there in early July, and a little over a week later, a girl was bitten on her side by a wolf in the same area. The province then closed the Den Treek estate to visitors until at least 15 August.

According to Koffeman, the wolf pair with cubs first lived on the Leusderheide but fled "under the influence of military exercises on the Den Treek estate." He believes that the steward of Den Treek has "initiated a witch hunt" and "is doing everything to make life difficult for the wolf." The owner of Den Treek has applied for a permit to be able to shoot a wolf if there is immediate danger to humans and rapid intervention is necessary. The province of Utrecht does not consider shooting to be an option at this time.