Photo Hugh Jansman That is shown by the latest progress report from BIJ12, the organization that implements the provincial authorities’ wolf policy on their behalf. The pack is part of the 51 wolves in total that have been identified in DNA tests by WUR. Half the wolves are newcomers, mostly the offspring of the ten packs we now have in the Netherlands.
The pair in the south-west Veluwe consists of a German mother (from Lower Saxony) and a Belgian father (from Hechtel-Eksel). The pair have been in the area since 2022, but last year was the first year they produced offspring. Camera images show they have a large family: seven cubs, whereas four to five is the norm. Three of the cubs have been proved to belong to the German-Belgian pair by DNA tests.
The pack is regularly captured on camera by camera traps. People visiting the woods have also frequently taken photos of the cubs. A couple of weeks ago, a wolf was spotted close to the scouting facilities on the edge of Bennekom. In the period from the end of March 2023 to the end of March 2024, over 230 reports were made of wolves or wolf tracks being spotted between Arnhem and Ede.
The report also says the first dead wolf has been found that may have been killed by another wolf. This was an adult female who was found in the woods near Elspeet on 1 December. A total of 17 dead wolves have been found since the start of March last year. Ten died after collisions with cars and three were hit by a train.
