Wolf kills pony in Wekerom pasture, says Ede municipality

A pony was reportedly killed in a wolf attack on Saturday morning in a field in the Gelderland village of Wekerom, which is part of the municipality of Ede. The pony was in a pasture along Roekelseweg, in the rural area nort of the city, when it was attacked, the municipality said in a statement.

The area has been marked by a recent increase in wolf attacks and sightings of wolves. The municipality is certain that a wolf was responsible, citing photos of the animal taken by local residents.

“It’s terrible that this has happened,” said Mayor René Verhulst in a statement. “The fact that wolves are now moving through inhabited areas in broad daylight, attacking other animals in places where children also play, is deeply concerning to me.”

Earlier this week, three wolf pups were killed in a separate incident, also in the municipality of Ede, near Otterlo, which is close to Wekerom. Police are investigating the cause of their deaths. In early September, a dead wolf was found on Westenengerdijk in Harskamp, near Wekerom. Authorities suspect the animal was hit by a vehicle.

The political debate over wolves has been heated for years. Provincial governments in Gelderland and Utrecht have expressed a desire to scare off wolves that come too close to humans, but this has not been possible due to current laws and regulations.