At least 56 wolf cubs born in Gelderland, Utrecht and Drenthe this year

Wolf - Credit: - License: DepositPhotos Nature Wednesday, 7 October 2026 - 20:20

At least 56 wolves were born in Gelderland, Utrecht, and Drenthe this year. Of this, 37 were born in Gelderland, 13 in Drenthe, and six in Utrecht, BIJ12 reports, the organization responsible for monitoring the wolf population for the provinces. The cubs have been seen on wildlife cameras. Specialists at the national wolf reporting center at BIJ12 have checked the footage.

BIJ12 says the number of wolf cubs born this spring could exceed 56, as data is still missing from some of the 14 areas where wolves are present. DNA testing was suspended during the summer because of new agreements with the laboratory carrying out the analyses, but resumed in September. At least 52 wolf cubs were recorded in 2025.

The organization is unable to say exactly how many wolves are currently in the Netherlands. “Wolves cover large distances, do not always leave traces and move in and out of the Netherlands. For that reason, we do not estimate the total number of wolves,” a spokesperson said. Last year, at least 20 wolves died in collisions, while the number has already reached 17 this year.

Gelderland has nine areas with wolf populations. The first wolf pair to establish itself in the Netherlands in 2019 is still living together in the northern Veluwe. The female arrived in the area in 2018 and gave birth to cubs the following year. She is now at least 9 years old, well above the average lifespan of around 6 years for wolves in the wild.

Wolves may also establish new territories outside their known habitats in Utrecht, Gelderland, Drenthe and the Friesland-Drenthe border area. Two wolves have been repeatedly captured on wildlife cameras in Noord-Brabant since June. Meanwhile, a female wolf living in Belgium's Noorderkempen has crossed into the Netherlands several times since 2024 and has been seen with a male companion since August.

A female wolf has been seen repeatedly in Overijssel since spring. Another wolf has been recorded by a wildlife camera near Lauwersmeer, an area spanning Friesland and Groningen, although its sex has not yet been determined. In eastern Groningen, wolf tracks have been reported and sheep killed since 2025. DNA analysis linked the attacks to a male wolf.

BIJ12 defines an area as a wolf habitat if DNA evidence shows that the same wolf has been present there continuously for at least six months. By March, it should become clear whether this is the case in the five areas where wolves have already been observed for an extended period.

Reporting by ANP