A woman who was attacked by an animal on the Den Treek country estate in the province of Utrecht last week was bitten by a wolf, the provincial authorities have confirmed. The province now says the animal should be shot because it poses a direct danger to the public.

DNA tests have shown the wolf who bit the woman is the same animal responsible for several incidents last summer in the same area of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. The woman was walking alone in the countryside near Leusden when the wolf, known by its tracking code GW3237, suddenly emerged from the undergrowth and attacked her.

Wildlife management experts are now submitting an application for a culling permit, which could take several weeks to be approved, the province said.

Pattern of dangerous behaviour

Last summer, the province had attempted to tag the same wolf with a tracking device to monitor its movements after a series of incidents. The animal came into close contact with people and pets, and at one point knocked over a five-year-old girl. That plan was blocked by animal rights groups following a court case.

Both the province and the Mammal Society (Zoogdiervereniging) are now in favour of shooting the wolf. “We were unable to identify a reason why the attack on the woman occurred,” wolf expert Glenn Lelieveld told regional broadcaster RTV Utrecht.

“The wolf’s pups were further away, so there was no defensive behaviour. Nor was it instinctive behaviour — the woman wasn’t running, for instance.”

Lelieveld said the animal’s behaviour has deteriorated over the past two years. “The risk of a repeat is high and this is a serious safety concern,” he said. “We need to take decisive action before things escalate further… As far as I’m concerned, the wolf should have been shot yesterday.”

The manager of Den Treek estate had already urged people to avoid the area last week. Part of the estate was closed to the public for several weeks last year to prevent further incidents involving the wolf.

Visitors are now being advised not to enter the forest alone, to keep children in sight and to stay on marked paths.

Gelderland