Although seldom spotted wolves are a normal part of the Latvian eco system for as long as we remember. Still in the west of Europe wolves have been extinct sometimes already for more than a hundred years. But now to everybody’s surprise the wolf is making a comeback all over Europe!

Both in Germany, Poland, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden wolves are climbing in numbers. "The existing core areas are expanding and slowly from these core areas, young adults spread in all directions, often over short distances, but also more and more regularly over long distances.

In the east of Germany, the wolf is now a fact; here are twelve packs known and next to those nine solitary animals. The first wolf was seen in Germany in 1996, the first pack was formed in 2000.These wolves all descend from Polish and Belarusian populations. Also new are the sightings of a solitaire wolfs in the Vosges, these animals descended from the French-Italian population. This population is now also spreading over the Swiss, Austrian and southern German Alps.

But even more extraordinary are the latest spotting of wolves in the Netherlands and Belgium this summer.

The densely populated Netherlands are not the first place where one would expect to come across a wondering wolf! Still this is exactly what happened to people driving on the highway near the city „Duiven” On the 30th of Augusts surprised motorists saw what probably the first wolf in the Netherlands is for over 100 years. In broad daylight the animal tried to cross the road, but because of the bustle and commotion could not succeed! A motorist made photos of the animal with her mobile phone, pictures show clear signs of a European wild wolf. Later experts confirmed that this really is a wolf and not a dog that looks much like a wolf.

On August 4 this summer in the Belgian Ardennes film material was made, also of a wild wolf. A Belgian nature film crew was looking for the lynx in the southern Ardennes. At a suitable place a camera trap was put down and picked up a few days later. Instead of a lynx there where clear sights to be seen of what looked like a wolf! The images were viewed by experts, and the conclusion was that it had to be a wild wolf. The shy behaviour, drawing in his fur, its construction and powerful presence made this clear to the French wolf expert „Eric Marboutin”.

Although Dutch specialists were expecting the first wolves to come from the east, both sighted wolves most likely descend from the Italian population.
These are the first confirmed wolf sightings in Belgium and in the Netherlands for over a 100 years.

Belgium film: