Animal organization says there was no direct danger in boy’s confrontation with wolves

There was no direct danger during a confrontation between a boy who was cycling and wolves in Woudenberg, Utrecht, last week Thursday, the Dutch Mammal Society has said. However, the organization did say that the situation was a problem as the wolves were within 30 meters of the boy, the province of Utrecht reported.

The incident allegedly happened on the Voskuilerdijk. The boy claims that he was cycling to school when ten wolves came out of a nearby bush before standing around him. The fright caused the boy to fall off his bike.

A passing driver honked his horn, which scared the wolves away, the boy said. The boy cycled home after this.

The Dutch Mammal Society analyzed the incident at the request of the province of Utrecht. Except for the boy’s statement, there is no other evidence, like DNA or camera footage, to prove this happened. The driver has also not come forward.

"What exactly happened cannot, therefore, be reconstructed according to the Mammal Society," the province said. But if the incident unfolded as this report indicates, there was no immediate danger, the province reported.

If the incident is true, the wolves are likely from the pack on Heuvelrug, Utrecht, where a maximum of seven wolves are living. "The fact that the boy thinks there were ten or more does not alter that prediction because it would have been an impressive event for the boy."

The Mammal Society again advised tracking all wolves. They believe this could have provided faster and more accurate information in this incident.

This was confirmed by the responsible deputy, Mirjam Sterk, during a committee meeting on Wednesday. The province is working on a license to catch, sedate, and track the pack of wolves on the Heuvelrug. The license was initially only requested for one wolf, which specialists claimed was causing trouble.

Sterk said that the province wants to use transmitters to get information about the animals so that action can be taken quickly if necessary.

SGP States Member Bertrick van den Dikkenberg said that these types of issues should not be taken lightly. Sterk replied by saying that this is certainly not the case. She said that she had contacted the boy's father about the Mammal Society's analysis and expressed commitment.

Arne Schaddelee of the ChristenUnie said that it is also important to take this into context. "What happened is very intense, and it is good to look at it in a healthy and critical way," Schaddelee said about the incident in Woudenberg. "But at the same time, we must also let the facts speak. And one of the facts is that no one has been fatally injured by the wolf in Europe for 40 years."

The province of Utrecht is advising children who are cycling through the forest areas to cycle in groups. “For kids younger than ten, the advice is to always have an adult cycle with you.”