Overview
- Demissionary staatssecretaris Jean Rummenie labeled the Wageningen Environmental Research assessment on wolf range and capacity "not usable" and commissioned a new international expert study.
- WUR concluded the Netherlands could host 23 to 56 wolf packs as a contribution to a healthy Central-European population of about 500 packs, emphasizing a metapopulation perspective.
- National monitor BIJ12 reports roughly 13 to 14 packs in the country, a level it says is far below thresholds for population management measures such as culling.
- Targeted removals approved in specific cases have not proceeded because the identified wolves near the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and Hoge Veluwe have not been located.
- Recent BIJ12 updates show eight packs in Gelderland and 32 pups observed in monitoring through May, as the Council of State warned that broadening the 'problem wolf' definition risks breaching EU rules.