At least 56 wolf pups were born in Gelderland, Utrecht and Drenthe this year, according to BIJ12, which monitors the wolf population on behalf of the provinces. The pups were identified using footage from wildlife cameras, and experts at BIJ12’s national wolf reporting centre verified the images.
Of the confirmed pups, 37 were born in Gelderland, 13 in Drenthe and six in Utrecht. BIJ12 expects the actual number to be higher because information is not yet available from all 14 areas where wolves are known to live. At least 52 wolf pups were born in 2025.
No DNA studies on wolves were carried out during the summer because of new agreements with the laboratory that conducts the tests. The studies resumed in September.
BIJ12 said it is impossible to determine the exact number of wolves in the Netherlands.
“Wolves travel long distances, do not always leave tracks, and move in and out of the Netherlands. For that reason, we do not provide an estimate of the total number of wolves,” a spokesperson said.
Traffic collisions remain a major cause of wolf deaths. At least 20 wolves were killed in collisions last year. This year, the number has already reached 17.
Habitats
Gelderland has nine established wolf territories. The first wolf pair to settle in the Netherlands in 2019 still lives together in the northern Veluwe. The female wolf arrived in 2018 and gave birth to pups a year later. She is now at least nine years old.
“That is remarkable, because wolves live an average of six years in the wild,” BIJ12 said.
Alongside known wolf territories in Utrecht, Gelderland, Drenthe and the Friesland-Drenthe border region, several other areas may soon become home to wolves. Since June, two wolves have been regularly recorded on wildlife cameras in Brabant.
A female wolf living in the Belgian Noorderkempen has also been spotted in the Netherlands several times since 2024. Since August, she has been seen with a partner.
Northern Netherlands
In Overijssel, a female wolf has been sighted repeatedly since spring. Another wolf has been captured on camera near the Lauwersmeer area in Friesland and Groningen, although its sex is not yet known.
Wolf tracks have been found in eastern Groningen since 2025, and several sheep have been killed. DNA analysis showed that a male wolf was responsible.
BIJ12 defines a wolf territory as an area where DNA evidence shows the same wolf has been present for at least six consecutive months. It expects to know by March whether this applies to five areas where wolves have already been observed for an extended period.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
