Killing "problem wolf" in Utrecht easier said than done
Authorities are struggling to locate and kill a so-called “problem wolf” in Utrecht, after a 6-year-old boy was likely bitten while playing near the Pyramide van Austerlitz on Friday. The boy was reportedly attacked from behind while playing near a bench in the woods and sustained injuries to his back that required hospital treatment. DNA tests are underway to confirm whether a wolf was responsible, NOS reported.
The municipality of Woudenberg has urgently advised the public not to enter the forest with children until the animal is killed. The warning has allegedly already hit local businesses hard. Hugo van Kolfschoten, owner of the Pyramide van Austerlitz restaurant, said visitor numbers were cut in half. “It’s very painful and unpleasant. I run a seasonal business and am very dependent on this period,” he told the newspaper. “We’ll take a huge financial hit.”
A shooting license for the Utrecht problem wolf has been in effect for a week, and another wolf in the Hoge Veluwe in Gelderland has been on the kill list since May. Neither has been shot. Hunters say wolves are intelligent and extremely difficult to track and kill, especially in densely vegetated summer landscapes. Unlike in Sweden, where large hunting teams use dogs and beaters to drive wolves into the open, Dutch law requires hunters to act alone—either by stalking or waiting in ambush.
Even when wolves are sighted, ethical and legal constraints complicate the hunt. Hunters must first confirm they are targeting the correct animal based on unique fur patterns, and they must get within 70 to 100 meters to ensure a lethal shot. Wounding a wolf first in order to finish the kill later is against Dutch hunting ethics. If the wolf appears with its pack, hunters may not shoot at all due to the risk of hitting others.
Van Kolfschoten emphasized the attack did not occur on his property, which is full of noisy rides and located near a busy road. “That keeps wolves away,” he told NOS. “I hope this is resolved quickly, but finding that wolf is not easy. After an incident last year, we lost business too. This should have been dealt with sooner. It’s terrible,” he said.
