A wolf on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug may be shot dead. The court granted permission for this on Wednesday afternoon. The wolf bit a walker in the leg in May and was also involved in incidents last year.
Animal organizations Faunabescherming and Animal Rights had objected to the permit to shoot the wolf. Pending that objection, which the province will handle in the coming months, the organizations had asked the court to prohibit the shooting.
But the court finds that the permit is well-founded and sees no reason to prohibit the shooting. The court also believes that the risk of a new incident with serious consequences is too great.
The reason for the shooting permit is an incident on May 19 of this year. A woman was walking on the Den Treek estate in the early afternoon and was bitten twice in her leg.
DNA taken from her trousers showed that she had been bitten by a wolf. The animal had also been involved in incidents a year ago, including standing on the back of a three-year-old girl.
‘Province has not rushed into things’
According to the court, Utrecht “has not rushed into things”. The province has engaged several experts and they all say the same thing. According to the court, this is not a one-sided approach, “but rather a confirmation”.
The animal organizations also suggested temporarily closing the Den Treek estate. That also happened last year. The court does not see that as a good alternative, also because there was another incident with this wolf last year outside the borders of Den Treek.
The fact that the wolf is the father of three-month-old pups is also not a reason to stop the shooting, according to the court. According to the experts consulted by the province, the young wolves can also survive without their father.
Two months ago, the court already gave permission to the province of Gelderland to shoot a wolf dead on the Hoge Veluwe. That animal had also bitten a woman. But it has not yet been possible to kill that wolf.