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🇧🇪 Belgium /Conflict & Security

Wolf expert reassures after wolf attack in Ardennes: 'No danger to youth camps'

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A wolf expert assures that there is no danger to youth camps in the Ardennes following a wolf attack on sheep.
  • The attack resulted in 20 sheep being killed or injured, prompting the mayor to consider extra measures.
  • Experts state wolves are shy, avoid humans, and attacks on people are extremely rare, with none recorded in Belgium.

Youth groups heading to the Ardennes forests for summer camps can rest assured, as a wolf expert has stated there is no danger to them following a recent wolf attack that killed 20 sheep. Joachim Mergeay, a biologist and wolf expert at the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), emphasized that wolves are shy animals that avoid human contact.

There is no danger whatsoever for children who go camping this summer in the area around the forest of Anlier.

— Joachim MergeayA biologist and wolf expert at the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) reassuring the public about safety.

The incident occurred in the village of Léglise, where a wolf pair, believed to have settled in the Anlier forest last year, attacked a farm. Fifteen sheep were killed, and five others were severely injured and had to be euthanized. The local mayor, Simon Huberty, expressed concern for the upcoming youth camps and wants to consult with experts to ensure safety.

Wolves are shy animals that avoid contact with people. Moreover, the wolves in our country are very well monitored.

— Joachim MergeayExplaining the behavior of wolves and the monitoring efforts in Belgium.

Mergeay explained that while July and August are high-risk months for livestock due to wolves seeking extra food for their young, attacks on humans are exceptionally rare. He noted that no wolf has ever attacked a person in Belgium. He also differentiated this situation from "problem wolves" that become accustomed to humans through feeding, stating that such wolves are well-monitored and would have been identified by now.

Canceling camps or moving them to another location is absolutely not necessary.

— Joachim MergeayAdvising against unnecessary panic following the sheep attack.

While canceling camps is unnecessary, Mergeay advised campers on what to do if they encounter a wolf: remain calm, slowly back away, and avoid approaching or feeding the animal. He stressed that the wolves in the area have been rarely seen since establishing themselves, indicating they are not actively seeking human interaction.

The advice is to remain calm, possibly slowly step back, and certainly not to seek proximity. Try not to take a picture with it and, so to speak, do not throw sausages at it.

— Joachim MergeayProviding guidance on how to react if one encounters a wolf in the wild.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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