'There is no other solution' than to shoot wolves with paintball guns, Dutch court rules

It is believed that there are now about 20 wolves living in the densely populated country. Photo: MANUEL ROMARIS/MOMENT RF

There is “There is no solution” other than to shoot wolves with paintball guns if they pose a threat to public safety, a court in the Netherlands has ruled.

Two centuries after the extermination of wolves wolves returned to the Netherlands in 2015, crossing the border into Germany.

By 2019, a permanent population had been established. There are now believed to be about 20 wolves in the densely populated country.

Authorities are grappling with how to manage the species as some wolves become increasingly bold in their interactions with people.

A she-wolf in the Hoge Veluwe National Park alarmed tourists and cyclists when it came close to them.

Videos posted on social media showed the she-wolf walking alongside families visiting the park. It is a popular area for walkers and cyclists, but is also home to wild deer, mouflon and wild boar — prey species that attract wolves.

«A serious threat to public safety.»

Pepper spray has been discussed as a possible deterrent, but ultimately it was ultimately considered too dangerous for animal health.

After a long legal battle, a court in Utrecht ruled that the behavior of some wolves in the national park constituted a “serious threat to public safety.”

“There is no other satisfactory solution other than shooting the wolf with a paintball gun and… it is necessary in the interests of public safety,” the court ruled.

The decision was a victory for the eastern province of Gelderland, where officials had lobbied for the use of paintball guns . Photo: WESTEND61

«The fact that the wolf appears to be less and less afraid of people does not mean that the animal may no longer be aggressive and bite.»

The court decision was seen as a victory for the eastern province of Gelderland, where officials had lobbied use of paintball guns.

The wolf is a protected species in the Netherlands and cannot be killed.

Wolf resurgence across Europe

The adoption of the paintball strategy comes as countries across Europe debate how to live with wolves as their numbers rebound after centuries of persecution.

The European Commission announced in December that it was considering relaxing protective measures for wolves. the species amid farmers' concerns about the threat wolves pose to livestock.

Ecologists estimate that up to 20,000 wolves now roam across EU member states, with Bulgaria, Greece and Italy believed to be , there is a population of more than 1000 individuals. , Poland, Romania and Spain.

“Damage to livestock has increased as wolf populations have grown,” the European Commission said.

Wolves are estimated to kill at least 65,000 domestic animals. in the EU every year: sheep and goats in 73 percent of cases, cattle in 19 percent, and horses and donkeys in six percent of cases.

Last September, Ursula von der Leyen, Head of the European Union commission lost her beloved pony Dolly to a wolf after it managed to sneak onto her family's rural property in northern Germany.