Young wolf killed by car thought to be one of recent litter
It appears that one of the three remaining pups born to Noëlla and August has been killed on a motorway in Limburg
DNA testing underway
The wolf was found by a lorry driver early this morning on the N74 outside Hechtel-Eksel. The Agency for Nature and Woodland Research (Inbo) is now carrying out genetic tests to establish the animal’s identity.
“We get lots of reports of wolves being run over, but it usually turns out to be a wild boar,” said Jan Loos of nature organisation Landschap. “We sent an expert from the animal shelter in Oudsbergen to the site and he confirmed, sadly, that this was indeed a young wolf.”
There was a very high chance that a young wolf, without experience of crossing roads, would be hit by oncoming traffic
The organisation is now calling for urgent measures to allow wolves and other animals to safely cross busy roads. “We had predicted this, and the Flemish government had seen it coming too,” said Loos. “There was a very high chance that a young wolf, without experience of crossing roads, would be hit by oncoming traffic. There are no measures here to move animals safely.”
A number of large infrastructure measures are planned, such as an eco-duct over roads where wolves are known to cross frequently. However, Welkom Wolf wants to see short-term solutions implemented while these larger projects take place, such as tunnels under secondary roads.
The dead wolf is thought to be part of the first litter of wolves to be born in Belgium in 150 years. Four pups were born to Noëlla and August in May and were caught on camera this summer. One of them has not been seen for two months and is presumed to not have survived.
New help for sheep farmers
A second adult female, known as Naya, disappeared with her young pups – also the offspring of August – in 2019, and are assumed to have been shot or poisoned by hunters or farmers.
Meanwhile, Inbo is testing a new method of protecting sheep from wolves – a collar that emits a foul smell and a bad taste, causing the wolf to vomit. The theory is that if a wolf attacks one of these sheep, it will associate the animals with vomiting and illness and is less likely to attack again.
Farmers in Flanders receive compensation from the government for livestock lost to wolf attacks, but have called for more monitoring of wolf movements as well as reimbursement of the cost of protective measures such as electric fencing.
Photo: Four has become two: the original litter caught on camera in early August
©ANB-INBO/BELGA
