Provinces say they welcome the new national rules on wolves, which let them act more quickly during serious incidents. Gelderland’s BBB provincial deputy Harold Zoet has pushed for broader intervention options for years. He says the change “finally acknowledges that people’s safety must always come first”. Most wolf packs in the Netherlands live in Gelderland, especially on and around the Veluwe.
The Dutch cabinet updated the rules almost two years after Europe reduced the wolf’s protection status. Provinces now have more freedom to deal with so‑called problem wolves. They can prepare a hunting permit in advance, allowing quick action if a wolf attacks a human.
The IPO, the partnership of the twelve provinces, said in late May that it felt “positive” about the “necessary steps” taken by the cabinet. A spokesperson says that view still stands.
Last year, Gelderland issued a permit to kill a wolf that bit a runner. The animal remained out of sight. Zoet says the new rules bring clarity after years of legal proceedings about scaring wolves with paintball guns and the limits on intervention after attacks. His spokesperson says Gelderland is now drafting a ‘standard permit’. Any culling will still require “customised measures”, including identifying the individual wolf.
South Holland is the only province where no wolf has ever appeared. It is not preparing a permit for now. The province says it is “good to know that this possibility exists” if a wolf ever causes a nuisance.
@ANP | News Brainport
