In the early morning of July 9th, a hobby farmer was attacked by a wolf after trying to defend his livestock from the animal. The man was quickly taken to the hospital and was eventually discharged with minor injuries as he recovers at home.
Rikus Jager, the mayor of Westerwald who oversees jurisdiction over Wapse, officially ordered the wolf to be shot dead because it was seen as a risky towards other people.
The wolf attack is the first ever on a human since the reintroduction of the animal to the country around 2018.
Mayor and farmer could face charges for role in wolf killing
The decision to kill the animal was criticised by wildlife advocacy groups, according to the NL Times. De Faunabescherming, an organisation focused on protecting wildlife in the Netherlands, is pursuing legal action against the farmer and Mayor Jager according to their website.
In a statement on their website, Faunabescherming believe this to be not “an attack from wolf to man but from man to wolf”, based on reports alleging that the farmer tried to chase the wolf away from his farm with a pitchfork and a shovel.
“Anyone unwise enough to attack a predator with a pitchfork and a shovel can expect the animal to feel threatened and defend itself,” they stated.
Protocol
They also believe that Mayor Jager did not follow the right protocol when it came to dealing with the wolf, especially since the animal was reportedly found hiding under solar panels before being shot.
“The protocol to judge whether a wolf has attacked people and has to be killed was not followed at all. The mayor had no right to order anyone to shoot the wolf. The police should have known that and verified before firing.”
“Only one choice”
In comments to RTL Nieuws, Mayor Jager stated “we tried to call an expert, but that didn’t work out so early. Insofar that expertise was available, we consulted it. But together, we concluded that there was only one choice.”
Although Dutch authorities have allowed the use of paintballs to scare the wolves, they are still a protected animal under the Bern convention. Only under extreme circumstances can a wolf be shot and killed.
What can farmers do?
Despite the accusations, the incident raises the question of what farmers are supposed to do to ensure their livestock won’t be killed. The farmer who was attacked had taken all the necessary precautions, including installing a fence around his sheep to prevent wolves from entering, yet it was still not enough.
Farmers have been very vocal about the lack of support they’ve received from damages caused by the wolves, and the fact that subsidies for the fences and compensation for their dead livestock is not enough to cover the losses they are suffering.
It is not so much a financial matter, but rather one of safety, as wolves are rapidly entering areas they should not be in and even specialised fencing appears to be unable to hold them back.
The wolves are back
Since being reintroduced, wolves have been a major threat to a large amount of livestock, particularly in the north of the country. In 2022 alone, close to 500 sheep were killed by wolves in Groningen, Drenthe, and Friesland despite the introduction of wolf fencing. With livestock attacks happening so frequently, it seems as if it was only a matter of time before an accident would happen.
With a steady rise on wolf attacks on livestock, and the first human injury caused by the animal, only time will tell how the Netherlands learns to live with their new furry companions that are growing in population with each passing year.
