Dutch authorities have received permission to shoot "deviant" wolves in a well-known national park. The court approved the use of paintball guns for this purpose.
Wolves in the Netherlands are protected, and hunting them is prohibited. However, predators from the De Hoge Veluwe National Park in Gelderland province have begun to show less fear of people visiting the area.
Some wolves fearlessly approached pedestrians and cyclists, displaying "unnatural behavior." Although the animals did not show overt aggression, the ruling states that they remain predators that can pose a danger to humans.
Methods for Scaring Off Wolves
The predators did not respond to shouts and gestures from people, leaving park staff with few options for scaring off the wolves without harming them. The idea of using paintball guns was proposed by local authorities back in 2022, and only now has the court officially permitted it.
According to the ruling, paintball guns are considered the "best option," and "there are no effective and proportionate alternatives." Their use has two main advantages: they scare off wolves, keeping them more than 30 meters away from people, and they allow for marking the most "problematic" animals prone to unnatural behavior.
Increase in Wolf Population
Unnatural behavior in European wolves has been recorded only in this specific park. However, experts warn that it may spread to other regions.
Active hunting of predators and the reduction of their natural habitat nearly led to the complete extinction of wolves in Europe. However, over the past 20 years, thanks to legal protection and habitat restoration, the wolf population has significantly increased.
Now these predators pose a serious threat to both livestock and humans. Therefore, the European Commission is currently considering changing the status of these animals from "strictly protected" to "protected."
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