Officials in Utrecht province have given formal permission to kill a wolf that has bitten at least one person in the woods of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug.

Hunters have until January 1 to shoot the wolf, nicknamed Bram, which attacked a woman walking on the Den Treek country estate in May. DNA research confirmed she had been bitten by wolf GW3237m, which had also been involved in earlier incidents.

The decision to kill the animal was made after several experts concluded it posed a direct threat to the public, the province said, adding that the move had not been taken lightly, as the province is also responsible for protecting the animals.

Protesters have four days to appeal against the decision, and two organisations have already said they will challenge it in court.

The province is also working on plans to tag the entire Utrechtse Heuvelrug pack with trackers before the end of the year.

In May the European parliament decided to downgrade the wolf’s protected status, changing it from “strictly protected” to “protected”, which maks it easier to organise culls, and downgrade the wolf in domestic legislation.

That legislation still has to be enacted in Dutch law.