Whilst nature lovers in the North are celebrating the re-arrival of the wolf in the Netherlands, sheep owners are less happy
The Eurasian Wolf was extinct in the Netherlands for a hundred years, but thanks to wolves born in Germany crossing over the border it is successfully back from extinction.
But aside from the conservation success, sheep owners are less happy- especially following the news that ten sheep were bitten to death this month. RTV Drenthe is now reporting that the nature organisation Het Drentse Landschap is taking measures to protect its sheep.
Naturally, sheep that graze in nature reserves are completely vulnerable, because a nature conservation area must have no fencing.
Last week at Hooghalen ten sheep were bitten to death and partly eaten by, it has been presumed, a wolf. “We still have to prove that it was a wolf, but we are convinced of it”, says Bertil Zoer of Het Drentse Landschap, the nature manager in this area.
The organisation is now taking measures to protect the sheep, but that is at the expense of nature management. “The fact is that the wolf comes more often, apparently this is one of the high-risk areas,” says Zoer about the Groote Zand nature reserve near Hooghalen. “That is why we have decided to remove the sheep from this area: we need to consider how we manage the site”, he added.
Het Drentse Landscape will now investigate per area what the best and safest option is for their sheep.
