The Dutch farmers reaching for their guns after EU backed down on wolf crisis
Rendered dormant for over a century, Dutch farmers are once again calling for the 'wolvenjager' – the wolf hunter – to be unleashed.
Wolves were driven out of the Netherlands in the late 19th century, but after the feared predators were deemed untouchable under a 'strict protection' order issued by the EU in 2015, they have returned.
Now, wolves are ravaging livestock across the country's farms every day, leaving meadows peppered with mutilated carcasses.
A sharp rise in attacks on livestock and pets – including on Ursula von der Leyen's own beloved pony – convinced the EU to downgrade the protection order in December, placing the onus on member states to devise their own responses to wolves from March onwards.
The decision has left rival groups jostling for the ear of Dutch politicians: farmers, who are in favour of culling, and animal rights groups, who fear an open season on the animals.
Officials have as of yet provided no clear direction on how to handle the nine packs of wolves roaming the Netherlands.
Eduard van Adrichem, a wizened hunter sporting a cowboy hat and an unkempt grey beard, sees culling the increasingly emboldened wolf as a solemn duty to his neighbours.
'It's not the wolf's fault, he is an opportunist. It's nature, I don't blame him for that, but I will shoot him for that,' the 67-year-old said, his gnarled hands gripping a rifle with familiarity.
'I would kill them all. It's my obligation to save Holland from a disaster.'
On the farms of Gelderland, Utrecht and Drenthe, WhatsApp groups deliver news of sightings and savage attacks.
Boudewijn Kooijman, from Limburg, orchestrates the Green Wolf warning system, sending on a flurry of reports from farmers complete with gory photographic evidence.
'You never get used to it. I take it home. I can't sleep,' the 65-year-old says after arriving at the scene of a grisly overnight attack on a fellow farmer's flock in Emst.
Once the proud owner of 1,500 Maasduinenschaap (a breed of sheep), which his family has farmed since the 1800s, Mr Kooijman has seen his numbers dwindle to around 500.
'It is my life, but I can't do it anymore. For me it is clear that I will quit breeding sheep,' he said in front of a tractor loader bearing five caracasses, a lamb visible amidst the entrails hanging from a mother's torn belly.
The marauding wolf, Mr Kooijman explained, ravages sheep – ripping the throat and bowels – but rarely eating its prey, leaving behind a gruesome and often half-dead surplus.
Tanja Witman, with anguish sketched into her face, said there have been four attacks on her farm in two years, resulting in the deaths of more than 50 sheep.
'The fences don't work, the wolves jump over. We need to start shooting,' her husband Erik said. 'If it continues like this, it will not be possible to keep sheep in this area.'
Further north in Drenthe, Jos Ubels, a 38-year-old cattle farmer, dismissed the anti-wolf fences subsidised by the government as a waste of time and money.
'You do it because otherwise they say you are not trying but we know it does not work,' he said.
Such fences threaten to eradicate an age-old symbiotic relationship whereby farmers lend sheep to their fellow dairy farmers, rotating through fields for three days at a time to improve the quality of next season's grass.
'They are destroying the system, they don't understand,' Mr Ubels added.
He explained that the choice between leaving sheep vulnerable and taking on back-breaking labour to install and maintain fences, for which the government does not offer compensation, renders the tradition untenable.
Farmers have also warned the more fencing is laid down, the harder it is for wildlife such as deer and boar to migrate across the Netherlands.
Mr Ubels, no stranger to activism as vice president of the Farmers Defence Force, said he was amongst the first to sound the alarm over wolf attacks after 14 of his calves went missing.
'We found a carcass. It was shocking. There was only the spine and a severed head,' he said, adding that the authorities initially refused to send a team to collect DNA samples, claiming that a wolf would never attack cattle.
An organisation known as Bij12 must obtain DNA matching a wolf on the government's database for the farmer to be paid compensation – an amount which farmers feel does not go far enough.
Mr Ubels responded by vowing to deliver the mutilated remains of a heifer through the local authorities' window. After alerting local media, who then phoned the province to ask what was happening, investigators confirmed wolves were responsible.
The cattle farmer fears similarities in the response that wolves will never attack humans.
On Friday, two ponies were found dead, dismembered and uneaten in Hierden, Gelderland, posing further concern over wolves' broadening appetite.
'My children are scared,' Mr Ubels said, adding that, given the opportunity, as a licensed hunter he would not think twice before reaching for his gun.
Last summer, the province of Utrecht was rocked by two cases of children being bitten and knocked over by wolves, which prompted the local authorities to issue urgent advice for children to stay out of the forests.
'It is a question of time before a wolf attacks a child. Little Red Riding Hood will no longer be just a fairy tale,' warned Caroline van der Plas, leader of the farmers' party BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB).
It is a fear shared by Mr van Adrichem, who said wolves prey on easy targets.
'He will learn [that] after sheep that there are children and men, he will learn that,' the hunter warned.
Mr van Adrichem, his shoulders resting on the fur pelt of a black bear he shot with a Winchester lever-action rifle in Canada, does not see himself as above nature, but rather as part of it.
'I adore the wolf, I cannot hate him. I would not even hate him if he took one of my dogs. But I would kill him,' the hunter said. 'I worship the wolf, but Holland is too small for him.'
Fed-up farmers have held demonstrations in Emmen, Ede and Arnhem this month, the latter featuring mock wolf hangings.
Vets have also vented their frustrations at being tasked with euthanising swathes of maimed animals.
'This is not why I became a vet. It is a tragedy. [The wolves] simply have to be shot,' Hans Veenstra, a vet from Wolvega, Friesland, told Dutch outlet AD.
The disparity in attitudes towards wolves has fuelled a widening rift between rural and urban areas.
Eric Kemperman, who represents the BBB in both the national parliament as a senator and the Gelderland local government, has long advocated for shooting wolves that attack livestock.
'People in the cities don't know how serious it is, it is dividing the population,' he told The Telegraph. 'It's getting out of hand, every day there are attacks'.
A hunter himself, Mr Kemperman said his party was 'waiting' for the right case in Gelderland to call on the mayor to enact local legislation which would permit the wolf to be shot.
'We will end up in court immediately, that is how it works here, but we want to challenge it,' he said.
In July 2023, the mayor for Westerwald authorised the killing of a wolf which had bitten a farmer near Wapse in Drenthe – an action which could otherwise result in a prison sentence or a fine.
Faunabescherming, an animal protection group, brought a lawsuit soon after the wolf was shot.
Earlier this month, a court sided with Faunabescherming over the provincial authorities of Gelderland, which had issued a permit allowing rangers to deter wolves with paintball guns.
Wolves neared extinction in the mid-20th century in Europe but recovered after being granted strict protection status by the Berne Convention in 1982 and the EU Habitats Directive in 1992.
Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs at Humane Society International/Europe (HSI) fears the decision could mark a watershed moment for animals without natural predators.
'The EU decision-making on lowering legal protections for wolves sets a dangerous precedent for other European species, such as bears and lynx,' she said.
Léa Badoz, a wildlife programme officer at Eurogroup for Animals, believes the wolf has been unfairly tainted as a bogeyman.
'The wolf is unfortunately the latest political pawn, a victim of misinformation,' she said.
'[The downgrading] is based on misconceptions and threatens wolves, while failing to provide real support for farmers and local communities, many of whom are in favour of coexistence with the wolf.'
There have been no verified fatal attacks on humans in the last 40 years.
Jakob Leidekker, head of operations at De Hoge Veluwe National Park, believes the anger of animal rights groups is misguided, citing the loss of wildlife at the hands of the wolf.
'For the profit of one species, do we need to lose other species? Our main concern is maintaining biodiversity,' Mr Leidekker said, explaining that the introduction of wolves into the national park in 2021 decimated the grazing mouflon population.
The mouflon are an integral rung of the food chain, keeping the spread of Scots Pine at bay and propping up the poor-quality soil, without which Mr Leidekker predicts all his heathlands would disappear within 20 years.
Mr Leidekker added that wolves were becoming braver with every human interaction. Of the two children attacked last year, he noted: 'This is just the beginning.'
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Associated Press
27 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Canada plans to hit NATO spending target early and reduce US defense reliance, Carney says
TORONTO (AP) — Canada will meet NATO's military spending guideline by early next year and diversify defense spending away from the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday. Carney said Canada will achieve NATO's spending target of 2% of gross domestic product five years earlier than it had previously planned. 'Our military infrastructure and equipment have aged, hindering our military preparedness,' Carney said. 'Only one of our four submarines is seaworthy. Less than half of our maritime fleet and land vehicles are operational. More broadly we are too reliant on the United States.' According to NATO figures, Canada was estimated to be spending 1.33% of GDP on its military budget in 2023, below the 2% target that NATO countries have set for themselves. Canada previously said it was on track to meet NATO's spending target by the end of the decade. 'Our goal is to protect Canadians, not to satisfy NATO accountants,' Carney said. The announcement of increased spending came as Canada is about to host a summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in Alberta on June 15-17, and before the NATO summit in Europe. It also comes as NATO allies are poised to increase the commitment well beyond the 2% target. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said last week that most U.S. allies at NATO endorse U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that they invest 5% of gross domestic product on their defense needs and are ready to ramp up security spending even more. Carney has said that he intends to diversify Canada's procurement and enhance the country's relationship with the EU. 'We should no longer send three quarters of our defense capital spending to America,' Carney said in a speech at the University of Toronto. 'We will invest in new submarines, aircraft, ships, armed vehicles and artillery, as well as new radar, drones and sensors to monitor the seafloor and the Arctic.' Canada has been in discussions with the European Union to join an EU drive to break its security dependency on the United States , with a focus on buying more defense equipment, including fighter jets, in Europe. Carney's government is reviewing the purchase of U.S. F-35 fighter jets to see if there are other options. Carney said that the U.S. 'is beginning to monetize its hegemony: charging for access to its markets and reducing its (relative) contributions to our collective security.' 'Middle powers compete for interests and attention, knowing that if they are not at the table, they will be on the menu,' Carney said. Trump's calls to make Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, and Carney won the job of prime minister after promising to confront the increased aggression shown by Trump. Carney said that the long-held view that Canada's geographic location will protect Canadians is becoming increasingly archaic. European allies and Canada have already been investing heavily in their armed forces, as well as on weapons and ammunition, since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Le Pen, Orban lambast EU at far-right rally in France
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday launched scathing attacks on the EU at a rally in France aimed at flaunting the unity and strength of the anti-immigration wing of European politics. Aimed at marking one year since Le Pen's National Rally (RN) crushed opponents to win their best-ever vote share in European elections, the get-together in Mormant-sur-Vernisson south of Paris brought together far-right leaders from across Europe. The mood was buoyant and confident in the wake of Donald Trump's return to the White House earlier this year and strong election results across the continent. Orban, revelling in his self-proclaimed status as the "black sheep of the EU" and "Brussels' nightmare", likened European migration policy to "an organised exchange of populations to replace the cultural base" of the continent. Boasting of having been able to "push back migrants" in his country, even if it meant incurring sanctions from Brussels, Orban told the several thousands present: "We will not let them destroy our cities, rape our girls and women, kill peaceful citizens." - 'Finish the game' - Le Pen, in her speech, described the European Union as a "graveyard of politically unfulfilled promises" and termed it "woke and ultra-liberal". "We don't want to leave the table. We want to finish the game and win, to take power in France and in Europe and give it back to the people," she said. Her party previously backed France's exit from the EU. But now it preaches European reform while remaining a member as Le Pen seeks to make the party electable and shake off the legacy of her late father Jean-Marie Le Pen. Other attendees included Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the League party Matteo Salvini, the leader of Spain's Vox party Santiago Abascal and former Czech premier Andrej Babis. They are all part of the Patriots for Europe faction in the European parliament, one of no less than three competing far-right factions in the chamber. Salvini meanwhile described migration as a "threat" to Europe. "The threat to our children is an invasion of illegal immigrants, mainly Islamists, financed and organised in the silence of Brussels," he affirmed from the podium, calling on European "patriots" to "work together" to "take back control of the destiny and future of Europe." In a sign of the controversy over the meeting, some 4,000 people from the left, hard left and trade unions protested in the nearby town of Montargis, according to organisers, vowing to "build resistance" and proclaiming the far-right leaders were "not welcome". "You have here the worst of the racist and xenophobic European far right that we know only too well," said French hard-left MEP Manon Aubry. - 'Brussels guillotine' - The meeting also comes less than two years ahead of watershed presidential elections in France where President Emmanuel Macron, who has long promoted himself as a bulwark against the far right, cannot stand again and the RN sees its best ever chance of taking power. But it is far from certain if Le Pen will stand for a fourth time as her conviction earlier this year in a fake jobs scandal disqualifies her from standing from public office. She has appealed. But waiting in the wings is her protege and RN party leader Jordan Bardella, 29, who would stand if Le Pen was ineligible. Bardella, who polls have shown would still be set to win the first round of presidential elections if he stands, is taking care to project his image including a long TV interview with star anchor Karine Le Marchand aimed at showing his softer side. "We reject the Europe of Ursula von der Leyen," Bardella told the rally, referring to the chief of the EU Commission. "We reject the Europe of Macron... We represent the rebirth of a true Europe." As well as Le Pen's legal limbo, the contours of the French 2027 presidential election remain largely unclear, with centre-right former prime minister Edouard Philippe the only major player to clearly state he will stand. Orban urged the RN to emerge triumphant from the elections. "Without you, we will not be able to occupy Brussels (...) We will not be able to save Hungary from the Brussels guillotine," said Orban. pab-sjw/ach


The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
US, Chinese trade negotiators meeting in London
Top U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting in London on Monday to try to fortify the countries' temporary trade truce, which is currently on track to expire in August. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer are in the U.K. for the talks with Chinese Vice President He Lifeng. It's unclear how long negotiations could last, but Chinese officials have predicted they could extend several days. 'The two sides need to make good use of the economic and trade consultation mechanism already in place, and seek win-win results in the spirit of equality and respect for each other's concerns,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian wrote in a post on X ahead of the meeting. 'The Chinese side is sincere about this, and at the same time has its principles.' President Trump confirmed plans for the London confab last week after a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who the president has described as 'extremely hard to make a deal with.' 'The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries,' Trump wrote in a social media post Thursday. The two sides have been attempting to hash out a long-term trade agreement following Trump's announcement of sweeping tariff hikes on most countries in April. The Trump administration urged countries last week to come forward with deals more favorable to U.S. interests. U.S. and Chinese leaders brokered their temporary pause in the tariff hikes after meeting in Geneva last month. Under that arrangement, the U.S. lowered its tariff rate on Chinese goods from 145 percent to 30 percent, and China agreed to lower its tariff to 10 percent from 125 percent for 90 days. China's exports to the U.S. were down 35 percent in May compared to last year, according to the latest analysis from Dutch multinational banking and financial services firm ING Group, adding pressure ahead of the latest round of meetings between the two countries. 'Exports to the U.S. surprisingly decelerated despite the trade war reprieve,' ING's analysts wrote. 'We expect that export growth to the US could recover in the coming months.' 'We could see import front-loading amid the still elevated risk that tariffs could once again move higher in light the uncertainty about trade talks over the past month,' the firm added.