Nearly 500 wolf attacks on animals already reported this year

This year, wolves have already attacked many more sheep and other animals than in the whole of 2023. In the first nine months of 2024, 491 wolf attacks on animals were registered, compared to 399 in the whole of last year. This is evident from an analysis by ANP based on data from BIJ12, the organization that handles wolf cases for the provinces.

Most attacks took place in the northeastern provinces, especially in Gelderland. The wolf struck there 237 times in the first three quarters of this year, more than twice as often as in the whole of 2023.

The number of wolf attacks is decreasing in Noord-Brabant. In 2020, wolves struck at least 50 times, last year there were only 22. This year, the counter is at 12, with five more reports where it is not known whether the attack was committed by a wolf.

Livestock farmers who suffer damage from wolf attacks can receive compensation. So far this year, the provinces have paid out almost 400,000 euros in compensation to farmers, almost as much as in the whole of 2023.

In almost all cases, the landowners had not taken sufficient preventive measures to prevent damage by wolves, according to data from BIJ12. The fact that wolves are attacking more often is because more wolves are living in the Netherlands. Five years ago, the Netherlands had one wolf pack. Now there are eleven.

The actual number of attacks may be higher. Reporting an attack to BIJ12 is not mandatory. Moreover, the organization only counted attacks where it was certain that the damage was caused by a wolf. In at least 166 cases in recent months, it could not be established whether a wolf was behind the attack