No wolf cubs born in Flanders in 2024, Belgian wolf population remains low

No wolf cubs were born in Flanders and only a dozen cubs appeared in Wallonia in 2024, laments the Welkom Wolf association.

The nonprofit is calling for safer road infrastructure to protect Belgium’s wolf population, reports Belga.

Welkom Wolf said the birth rate of wolves in the country was very poor compared to the 55 cubs born in Netherlands over the past year. “It’s ridiculously low, especially considering southern Belgium is more suitable for wolves than the Netherlands and Flanders combined.”

In Wallonia, the southern area of the High Fens national park saw the birth of at least five cubs, while the Eifel pack grew by seven.

The organisation hopes wolf cubs return to the Limburg region in Flanders next spring, although it is concerned about the lack of road safety measures. “If one adult wolf gets hit by a car, the chances of cubs diminish drastically,” said Jan Loos.

This was the case in the northern part of the High Fens. There were no births in the area after the she-wolf Maxima was accidentally killed in a collision last March.

That’s why Welkom Wolf is demanding urgent action to create wildlife crossings and put up fencing in high-risk areas. “We know where wolves frequently cross roads and we’ve been asking for eco-ducts or eco-valleys for years but nothing has been done,” Loos said.

Illegal hunting is another concern, particularly in Wallonia. According to Welkom Wolf, wolves are being killed on private land, with little oversight or enforcement. “There’s no supervision on private domains and the Walloon government simply looks the other way,” it said.

With Belgium’s total wolf population estimated at only 20 animals, Welkom Wolf encourages the public to report any wolf sightings via its contact point.

Photo: Welkom Wolf ©Cees van Kempen