Paintballs to be shot at fearless Dutch wolves (1 Viewer)

[jurek]

A news probably very distorted:

Paintballs to be shot at Dutch wolves in bid to make them less tame

The decision comes after a video showed a wolf strolling past a family in a park.

www.bbc.com

I know of many Dutch and European birders who would go to great lengths to see or photograph a wild Wolf. Somehow, they are not crowding to Dutch Weluve...

 

[Andy Adcock]

Is it my imagination or is it limping?

 

[Farnboro John]

A news probably very distorted:

Paintballs to be shot at Dutch wolves in bid to make them less tame

The decision comes after a video showed a wolf strolling past a family in a park.

www.bbc.com

I know of many Dutch and European birders who would go to great lengths to see or photograph a wild Wolf. Somehow, they are not crowding to Dutch Weluve...

Probably because this is the first time we've known about it as a site!

John

 

[Xenospiza]

I've seen pictures of this young wolf being almost kettled in by photographers.
It is a well-known location, even if it's being kept under the radar.

Natuurfotografen omsingelen wolf op de Veluwe, Zoogdiervereniging woedend

Door het dier te benaderen, laten de fotografen hem wennen aan hun aanwezigheid. Maar dat is volgens de Zoogdiervereniging absoluut niet de bedoeling.

nos.nl

The owners of the area are not happy with the wolves (as they earn part of their money through hunting), so it is suggested that they allow these close approaches to get an excuse to have the wolf shot.

 

[T.O.]

I've seen pictures of this young wolf being almost kettled in by photographers.
It is a well-known location, even if it's being kept under the radar.

Natuurfotografen omsingelen wolf op de Veluwe, Zoogdiervereniging woedend

Door het dier te benaderen, laten de fotografen hem wennen aan hun aanwezigheid. Maar dat is volgens de Zoogdiervereniging absoluut niet de bedoeling.

nos.nl

The owners of the area are not happy with the wolves (as they earn part of their money through hunting), so it is suggested that they allow these close approaches to get an excuse to have the wolf shot.

Some more background. This is a privately owned national park of approx 5000 hectares, which is completely fenced. It used to be connected to other parts of the Veluwe, but these corridors were closed once wolves arrived in the country. This is obviously bad news for wild boar and red + roe deer. The park has blamed unnamed people that the wolf entered through holes in the fence that were purposefully cut for the wolf, but offers no evidence.

Another main reason they are anti-wolf, apart from their hunting business, is because the park used to be home to one of the two herds of Corsican mouflon in the country. These are obviously non-native, feral animals but the park claims they are important for biodiversity conservation. Being a sheep that is not fenced in, these are easy prey, so apart from a few dozen now fenced-in mouflon, the wolves have managed to eat the rest. It is personally very annoying to see all land-owners in the Veluwe area having adopted to the wolf successfully (there are multiple groups that have lived relatively conflictless in the area of 1000 square kilometres for years now) and one big black sheep with this private national park.

The current problem is with one/several youngsters born in National Park Hoge Veluwe this year, not with any of the other wolves around.

 

[Sangahyando]

Some more background. This is a privately owned national park of approx 5000 hectares, which is completely fenced. It used to be connected to other parts of the Veluwe, but these corridors were closed once wolves arrived in the country. This is obviously bad news for wild boar and red + roe deer. The park has blamed unnamed people that the wolf entered through holes in the fence that were purposefully cut for the wolf, but offers no evidence.

Another main reason they are anti-wolf, apart from their hunting business, is because the park used to be home to one of the two herds of Corsican mouflon in the country. These are obviously non-native, feral animals but the park claims they are important for biodiversity conservation. Being a sheep that is not fenced in, these are easy prey, so apart from a few dozen now fenced-in mouflon, the wolves have managed to eat the rest. It is personally very annoying to see all land-owners in the Veluwe area having adopted to the wolf successfully (there are multiple groups that have lived relatively conflictless in the area of 1000 square kilometres for years now) and one big black sheep with this private national park.

The current problem is with one/several youngsters born in National Park Hoge Veluwe this year, not with any of the other wolves around.

"Privately owned national park" seems like an oxymoron, didn't even know that was possible.
FWIW, wolves also ate most of the free-roaming mouflon in Germany, most likely because the latter are not particularly well adapted to the Northern/Central European geography.

 

[Maffong]

How can a national park be owned privately? That doesn't make sense to me. Perhaps some individuals who are responsible act for their own interests, but surely it can't be entirely private?!
I know of a similar case here in Germany, where a natural protected area is managed by the government agency, but the forest warden acts more in his own interest as a hunter than in the public interest and hinders all conservation efforts that might hurt 'his' precious red deer.

Anyways, the background is highly appreciated.

 

[Xenospiza]

It's not even the only privately owned National Park in the Netherlands.
"National Park" is not a particularly strong term in the Netherlands, not far removed from an AONB in Britain or a Naturpark in Germany.
The English wikipedia page gives some background: De Hoge Veluwe National Park - Wikipedia

 

[jurek]

BTW, I think a wolf can easily dig or climb a fence without holes, and doubt that holes would be made purposefully, and particulary to let wolves in.

These photos remind me how fearless is wildlife in the Netherlands. Grey Herons in peoples gardens, Pheasants and Stock Doves which are almost run over by a bike and move few meters only etc. When a White Pelican appeared, maybe wild, people started feeding it fish and completely tamed it. Red Deer nurse their calves 10 m from a public path in the reserve Oostvaardenplassen. But seeing a Wolf this way... is just mind bending. One feels like in the Garden of Eden.

Somebody might tell the landowners, that a lodge with organized wolf watching and photography, like it is done in Finland, can bring at least as much money as the deer eaten by the wolf:

Bear Watching in Finland – Guide to Bear Safaris

Finland is one of the best places in the world to watch northern predators: bear, wolf and wolverine. Read tips to bear safaris in Finland.

featuringfinland.com

This is nominally for brown bears, but wolves are very often present and photographed.

BTW, is this one of Dutch fenced places which have European Bison and konik horses? These can defend themselves from wolves.

 

[Xenospiza]

BTW, is this one of Dutch fenced places which have European Bison and konik horses? These can defend themselves from wolves.

No, mouflon sheep (which are readily eaten by wolves as they are sheep...), wild boar and deer.

There has been an injunction to forbid shooting paintballs at wolves (although paintball guns were carried already, no shots were fired thusfar anyway).
The actual courtcase will be Wednesday next week.

 

[dantheman]

No, mouflon sheep (which are readily eaten by wolves as they are sheep...), wild boar and deer.

There has been an injunction to forbid shooting paintballs at wolves (although paintball guns were carried already, no shots were fired thusfar anyway).
The actual courtcase will be Wednesday next week.

Presumably unregulated (???) but presumably there are different calibers/strength of shot and paint itself is non-toxic.

 

[rosbifs]

I doubt a paintball is going to hurt a wolf too much - quite a lot of soft skinned westerners do it for a hobby - and probably less extreme than shooting it dead...

The deal is not to hurt them but to give them a shock so they associate 'people' with that shock.

As for wolves eating deer I don't know the specific situation in Holland but the deer have devastated large areas of woodland in the UK and need culling. There was talk of introducing wolves specifically for that purpose.

 

[jurek]

Moufflon greatly decreased also when Lynx were reintroduced to Harz, Germany. Being early domestic sheep, they are poor in escaping predators, especially on level ground.

Maybe the owners take the occassion to bring European Bison? They could be hunted, too, although much fewer of them can be sustained on an area of land (but the value per piece is higher).

 

[dantheman]

I doubt a paintball is going to hurt a wolf too much - quite a lot of soft skinned westerners do it for a hobby - and probably less extreme than shooting it dead...

The deal is not to hurt them but to give them a shock so they associate 'people' with that shock.

As for wolves eating deer I don't know the specific situation in Holland but the deer have devastated large areas of woodland in the UK and need culling. There was talk of introducing wolves specifically for that purpose.

Throwing a stone (or even bending down and pretending to pick one up) the long-accepted method of keeping stray/feral dogs in check in much of the world? Similarly a well tossed small item near domestic cats enough to startle and scare them off where appropriate.

I guess it has to be done responsibly (and not in a way that gets them used to it and thus no fear of guns of course!)

 

[Xenospiza]

Maybe the owners take the occassion to bring European Bison? They could be hunted, too, although much fewer of them can be sustained on an area of land (but the value per piece is higher).

They would be considered too dangerous for this highly visited park. Even normal cattle can be problematic.

 

[Xenospiza]

The verdict: shooting paintballs at wolves is not allowed.
The need for shooting at this protected species has not been demonstrated sufficiently by the province (who is responsible for the permit).