Dead sheep have been discovered in Onnen (near Haren) in the province of Groningen: indicating that there may be a wolf roaming around.
Research should show whether the sheep were killed by foxes, dogs or a wolf, reports the regional broadcaster for the province of Groningen, RTV Noord. Figures released recently by BIJ12 (organisation for the Dutch provinces), appear to show that a wolf is currently active in the northern Netherlands. BIJ12 has tracked the damage caused by wolves for all twelves provinces in the Netherlands. A week and a half ago BIJ12 received a wave of reports about dead sheep, from all three of the northern provinces. In total, thirty dead sheep were counted in five different places in one week, including in Onnen.
Wolves from Germany
According to Maurice La Haye from BIJ12, there is a good chance that the sheep were killed by a wolf. ”It’s winter and we often see adolescent wolves coming over from Germany during that period. They go on a voyage of discovery and often return after the winter.” The last time there was a (definitive) wolf in the Northern Netherlands was in December 2018.
There will be DNA testing to determine whether or not it was a wolf, or whether the sheep were killed by a fox or dog. The results of the first DNA test will be announced early next year.
The last time a wolf was spotted in Groningen, in 2018, was captured on film, and is available to see here.
