Utrecht country estate reopened after wolf incident

The Den Treek estate in Leusden fully reopened on Monday after being closed in the summer due to an incident involving a wolf and a child. The wolf cubs on the estate have grown and their parents should no longer be on the defensive, wolf experts concluded. It is safe enough to reopen, reports RTV Utrecht.

The municipality of Leusden closed Den Treek this summer after a wolf attacked a girl on July 16. The child suffered minor injuries, but because the incident occurred just a week after an incident between a wolf and a dog, the municipality and the province of Utrecht decided to issue an emergency decree.

“There was no urgent recommendation from the province of Utrecht to extend the emergency decree,” a city spokesperson told RTV Utrecht. “It is expected that the removal of the barriers will begin today. This will be done in consultation with the manager of Den Treek.”

Experts no longer believe that the wolf couple living on the property is displaying defensive behavior, as the young are now bigger. “In addition, the summer holidays are over and there are fewer people in the forest. This reduces the likelihood of wolves and humans meeting each other,” the province reported.

Signs have been put up on the property to advise visitors on proper behavior in wolf territory. Locals are happy that the property is open again and are not afraid of encountering a wolf.

“I've never seen one,” a cyclist told the station. “It's good that there are some tips on the signs. If we follow them, we might be able to live together with the wolf, provided we also take measures to protect sheep and horses. But I don't think it makes much sense to constantly close off areas.”

“We'll just go back there,” said two hikers about the reopening of the property. “We can enjoy the part that was closed off for the last few weeks.” They aren't afraid of the wolf either. “I've made long trips and slept in a tent surrounded by lions. I don't get scared easily.”