Nearly 500 wolf attacks recorded in Dutch farms in first six months of 2025

The number of wolf attacks on sheep and other livestock is rising again. A total of 497 attacks were registered in the first six months of 2025, compared to 360 during the same period last year, an analysis from ANP, using data from BIJ12, proved. BIJ12 handles any wolf-related affairs for the provinces.

In around 85 percent of the cases, the land owners did not have enough preventive measures to prevent damage caused by wolves, BIJ12 data shows.

Most attacks occurred in the northern and eastern parts of the country, mostly in the province of Gelderland. Wolves have attacked livestock on 191 occasions this year in the province. Friesland and Drenthe follow this, with 100 attacks each.

At the end of May, the ANP reported a record number of wolf attacks for the first quarter of the year. A total of 370 attacks were registered in the first quarter, compared to 266 the previous year.

The actual number of attacks may be even higher. Farmers are not obligated to register attacks to BIJ12. Moreover, only attacks that can be confirmed as caused by a wolf have been counted. BIJ12 has now processed almost all reports from the first half of 2025.