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Gelderland transmission
News from the NOS•today, 17:09
Wildlife photographers surrounded a wolf on the Veluwe. The images show how a dozen people with cameras take pictures at a short distance from the animal and how the wolf also follows it. The Mammal Society doesn’t have a good word on this. “They create a problem wolf.”
The wolf was followed in the De Hoge Veluwe National Park, above Arnhem. He is probably a young wolf, who has not yet learned to be afraid of people. “What you see is that people who call themselves nature lovers exhibit criminal behavior,” says Glenn Lelieveld of the Mammal Society. Gelderland transmission. “They let the wolf get used to the presence of people.”
Two people from the Mammal Society are there to see what the situation is, says Lelieveld. “Far on the edge of the forest there is probably one of the parents trying to reach the pups. But a pup is trapped. No contact can be made between parent and pup because there are people between them.”
He set out the premise
By approaching the wolf, photographers create a problem wolf, says Lelieveld. “It’s not like that yet, because it’s not walking towards people yet. This is strongly illegal, you have to keep a wild wolf. I don’t understand how you can justify it as a nature lover for yourself.”
Since the wolf was on De Hoge Veluwe, the park has to monitor visitors, Lelieveld says. A spokesperson tells Omroep Gelderland that he doesn’t see it that way.
“The wolf is looking for people, instead of the other way around. This is not illogical. Suppose you were born in the city, then the crowd is the starting point. If you were born on the prairie in the middle of America, you are not used to people. . You have to see it that way with these wolves. They ended up in a crowded country, so it’s not illogical for them to get used to the presence of people, “a spokesperson said. “In reality, what we as a park predicted is happening now.”
To keep or not to keep
Because the wolf is a protected species, it is forbidden to disturb the natural behavior of the animals, says Lelieveld of the Mammal Society. The province of Gelderland is the government that must enforce this law.
The province is working on it. “Our law enforcement officers went to the park to investigate the situation on the spot and to intervene if necessary. Our law enforcement officers work with the National Park buoys,” says a spokesperson.
When it comes to the park rules, the same park performers act. “As if visitors weren’t allowed to leave the paths,” says the spokesperson. De Hoge Veluwe also announces that action will be taken if people stray from the paths.
