wolveswolves:

Wolf officially back in the Netherlands

Research by Dutch province Gelderland shows that a female wolf has been residing in Dutch National Park De Veluwe for over 6 months, meeting the criterion to officially speak of settling.

This conclusion has been drawn from DNA research conducted on feces that were collected in the past few months by volunteers from Dutch organisation Wolven in Nederland (”Wolves in the Netherlands”). 

The female wolf originates from a pack located in German place Brandenburg, a few kilometers away from the Dutch border. Another female wolf has been residing for a while in De Veluwe as well. 

And to make it even more exciting; feces from a male wolf have been found as well! This wolf is abundantly marking it’s territory, indicating pairing. Earlier indications of pairing were observed, such as joint howling, and two wolf tracks next to each other in the snow. These clues weren’t sufficient enough to speak of pairing, but after finding this DNA proof, researchers and volunteers keep a close eye on the brand new pair by the use of camera traps and testing more fecies.

I can remember you guys asking for my thoughts on the possibility of wild wolves returning to the Netherlands, and it was always such an abstract, theoretical subject to talk about. I had confidence they would reappear here at one point, especially seeing how the wolf population in west Germany was pretty much pushing them over the Dutch border, but I could only hope they would actually séttle here as well. And now that time has finally come! 

It seems the two wolves in De Veluwe found each other just in time for the mating seasons, so fingers crossed for the first wild Dutch wolf pup litter in over 150 years! 

Picture: wolf in the Netherlands, by Staatsbosbeheer 

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