Wolf warning requires dog owners to keep pets leashed at Utrechtse Heuvelrug forest

Dogs will now be required to be kept on a leash in more places on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug after several incidents involving the wolves there. Dogs need to be on a leash from March 15 in all forest areas on the Leusderheide. Staatsbosbeheer, Utrechts Landschap, the province of Utrecht, Regionale Uitvoeringsdienst Utrecht, and the municipality of Zeist have made the unanimous decision to implement this after being advised by wolf experts.

They see the leash requirement as a way to prevent incidents between dogs, wolves, and humans. The annually reoccurring measure will continue up to September 15.

The Leusderheide is the core of the living area for wolves on the Utrechse Heuvelrug. There is a year long leash requirement on the Den Treek estate and in most parts of the surrounding area.

This measure will now be expanded to the forest areas of Zeist and Austerlitz, because there may be cubs in these areas between March and September. The Leusderheide is a military training area, and inaccessible to the public.

The length of a leash can be a maximum of ten meters long. This gives dogs enough freedom to move around while remaining close enough to their owner.

"Both the land management organizations, the municipality, and the province understand that this temporary leash requirement for dog owners can feel like a drastic measure," said Deputy Mirjam Sterk. “And of course, this will take some getting used to, and not everybody will be aware of the new rules at first. That is why only warnings will be handed out for the first six weeks instead of fines if dogs are found running loose in the area.”

Dog owners are also advised to keep their dogs on a leash in all the other areas in Utrecht, with space for dogs to run freely. The decision for this advice was made to prevent incidents with wolves and the disturbing of animals during the breeding season.

The advice has also been changed for children. Thus far, the advice was to avoid entering the Heuvelrug forest with small children. However, the wolf that was causing these dangerous situations has not exhibited the same behavior for many months.

That is why the Dutch Mammal Society have now changed their advice to asking people to prevent situations in which children up to 10-years-old are alone in the forest and always stay on paths and together as a group.

The Den Treek estate was closed for weeks during the summer of 2024 after a wolf had taken a dog and bit a girl. A wolf also sought contact with dogs on several occasions.