The wolves were quickly located and stunned after their escape. They were then housed in a behind-the-scenes enclosure with the rest of the pack. Early in the evening on Wednesday, one wolf was found dead and the other badly injured.
dominant females
It is unclear what exactly happened, the zoo writes. One possibility is that some dominant animals attacked the two escaped wolves, but that is not certain, according to a spokesperson. The keepers noticed that two females from the pack started to behave more dominantly towards the other wolves. But that kind of tension is part of the natural behavior of animals that live in social groups, such as wolves, according to the caretakers.
Another scenario, according to the spokesman, is that the wolves were chased and cornered and injured trying to get away. The fear could have caused heart failure in one of them.
Social structure stabilized
The two dominant females are now housed separately from the pack, each in their own enclosure. They can no longer return to the group, because the relations are permanently disturbed. Amersfoort Zoo is looking for a suitable place for them in another zoo or wildlife park.
The other wolves will soon return to their own enclosure and will then be visible to the public again. The injured wolf is cared for separately. “With the separation of the dominant women, we now see that the social structure of the group has stabilized,” said Verdonck.
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