Wolf involved in incident with child last summer found dead on side of the road

A wolf was found run over and dead at the side of the Zeisterweg between Woudenberg and Zeist, near the Austerlitz forests, on Wednesday. The animal involved is likely the same wolf that was involved in multiple incidents on the Den Treek-Henschoten estate last summer, estate manager Wilbert Nijlant told the Telegraaf.

Last summer, a girl came face to face with a wolf on the Den Treek-Henschoten estate and sustained minor injuries in the interaction. A few weeks earlier, there was also an incident between a wolf and a leashed dog. After these incidents, a large part of the estate was shut down to visitors for almost seven weeks, to give the local wolf couple and their four young cubs space.

“The wolf that was run over is a fairly heavy wolf,” Nijlant told the Telegraaf. “There is therefore a good chance that it is the father of the couple.” Locals nicknamed this wolf Bram.

“Earlier, one of the young wolves was run over in Leersum, so the pack still consisted of five,” Nijlant said. “Because the food on our estate and the adjacent Leusderheide is running out, they have to cross the road more often, and that has now turned fatal for one of them.”

Earlier this month, nature conservation organizations asked locals to keep their dogs leashed in the forests of Austerlitz until September 15. These forests are part of the core of the wolf habitat. The measure is intended to give wolves peace during their cubbing season and to minimise incidents between wolves, dogs, and humans.

People are also advised to stay on the paths and stay in groups when in the forest. Young children should not play in the forest alone.