He calls it the absolute low point in his thirteen years as mayor of the municipality of Westerveld. “We still talk about the wolf without looking for a solution. In this way, we continue to polarize the world around this subject,” says Rikus Jager (69).
At the beginning of July, Jager made national news after he, as mayor, ordered the shooting of a wolf in Wapse. He was the first and so far the only mayor to make this decision. The animal had bitten a sheep farmer in Wapse. Several animal organizations subsequently filed charges against the people involved in the wolf’s death, including the mayor.
Jager cannot say much about his experiences, because the criminal investigation is still ongoing. “But if you think that we shot a wolf for fun, because that’s how people talk about it, that’s nonsense.”
The fact that there is still nothing clear about how to tackle the wolf still concerns Jager. “How do we deal with it? As long as nothing is certain, are we still able to make an adequate decision? Because the wolf is 100 percent protected.”
The issue has also had an impact on those involved in Wapse on a personal level. Jager also notices this himself. “If you look at the texts on social media, they are not exactly friendly, to say the least,” says the mayor.
Even the daughter of one of those involved has received threats and Jager is visibly affected when this is discussed. “Absurd. That you also involve people who have absolutely nothing to do with it, especially when it comes to children.”
Watch the fragment with Rikus Jager in the Radio Drenthe program Cassata below.
2023-12-17 07:02:09
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