Authorities kill wolf in Utrecht, DNA test to verify if It’s the permitted target

A wolf has been killed by hunters in the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Authorities will conduct a rapid DNA test to determine whether it is the same wolf that the province of Utrecht authorized for culling earlier this year, following multiple attacks on humans.

The province of Utrecht expects to know by the end of next week, on December 12, whether it is indeed the wolf known as “Bram.” On May 19, a female hiker was bitten twice in the leg by a wolf on the Den Treek estate near Leusden. DNA tests confirmed the wolf’s identity as GW3237m, which had also been known to approach humans the previous year.

Authorities granted a culling permit for the wolf after experts deemed it a threat to people. Animal rights groups Faunabescherming and Animal Rights requested that the permit be suspended, but the court rejected this in July. Hunters from Utrecht’s wildlife management unit are now permitted to shoot the wolf, following strict regulations.

In late July, a six-year-old child was bitten and partially dragged by a wolf near the Pyramid of Austerlitz, later confirmed by DNA to be Bram’. The wolf’s mate had produced cubs in April for the second consecutive year.

Faunabescherming and Animal Rights said the wolf shows defensive behavior, especially to protect its young, and unsuccessfully urged the court to have the province close off the wolf pack’s territory to visitors. Previously, part of the Den Treek estate on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug had been closed for several weeks.

Since the beginning of August, people have been advised to stay away from estates, forests, and nature areas between the A12 and A28. The province says this advisory will remain in place until the DNA test results of the killed wolf are confirmed.

This comes a day after the Gelderland province extended the authorization to kill the wolf that attacked a runner this spring on the Hoge Veluwe. Hunters in Gelderland now have until July 1 next year to kill the wolf, known by the code GW4655m.

The permitted area has been expanded to include the Deelen Air Base, and the previous permit, which would have expired on January 1, has been extended.

In May, wildlife authorities were granted permission to kill the wolf known as Hubertus. However, they have struggled to locate and shoot the animal. Gelderland province has stated that the wolf seeks out humans, a behavior that cannot be corrected. “The wolf continues to pose a threat to people, and incidents like those in April 2025 may happen again,” the province warns.

Gelderland calls it a “serious decision” to kill the wolf. “That is why the permit is only being extended for a limited period. It is also expected that the young adult wolf GW4655m will leave the pack in the Hoge Veluwe and surrounding area next year to establish its own territory.”