To wolf or not to wolf? What you need to know about the wolf

People, I have a bit of Veluwe fear. I have two (!) weekends planned to go to the Veluwe and right now the wolf is happily hopping along with cyclists. I love animals, but this is a bit of a different caliber.

When I think of wolves, I immediately think of the creatures that tear you apart in Twilight. Vivid imagination, for which I apologize. It probably hasn't gotten out of hand here yet, although the farmers are currently less happy with those wolf-like creatures that are popping up among their sheep. I can already see myself getting tense at a sound in the forest that is NOT produced by me. Every breaking twig has the potential to be a wolf, that kind of thing.

But is the fear of wolves justified? Most experts say no. Natuurmonumenten even says that you should enjoy an encounter with a wolf because they are rare. To be honest, I still swallow a small anxious lump in my throat at that thought, for which I apologize. Meanwhile, the farmers with torn-up sheep think we definitely have a problem. But what’s the deal?

To begin with, the wolf originally belongs in ALL of Europe, including the Netherlands. They are back from being gone. At the end of October, the count was at least sixteen wolves in the Veluwe, but not all pups survive: one wolf on the Groote Heide in North Brabant and two wolves in the Drents-Friese Wold. So it's not just that one running wolf from the cyclist.

The paintball guns in the Veluwe have now been set up (no joke) to instill a bit more fear of humans in the wolf, so they don't approach us themselves. That's where the danger lies: wolves that are used to humans could cause problems in the future. Normally, wolves stay away from people, so the chance of being bitten is quite small, but once a wolf's fear of a human disappears, awkward situations can arise. For example, the wolf does not want you to get too close to pups, and you should definitely not think about feeding a wolf.

What to do if you come face to face with the yellow eyes of a wolf? God, it could happen to you.

• Give the wolf space and keep your distance (just like you would with those huge cattle with horns)
• Keep your dog on a leash (like seeks like and that’s not always favorable in the case of a wolf and a dog)
• As soon as a wolf approaches you, you should speak loudly and make gestures (the hell)
• Whatever you do, do not feed the wolf (as if you would do that as a reasonable person, but still)
• And please remember that the wolf is ultimately a predator and should be shy

So far my Veluwe fear.