Urgent Warning Issued Over Wolf Encounters in Dutch Forest Near Utrecht

A central Dutch province has urgently warned parents to avoid taking young children to a forest area near Utrecht after two encounters with a potentially dangerous wolf. The province is considering seeking a permit to kill the wolf, a protected species, due to recurring incidents.

A central Dutch province has issued an urgent warning advising parents not to take young children to a popular forest area near the city of Utrecht. This follows two recent close encounters involving a wolf displaying "atypical and worrying" behavior.

Utrecht province is preparing to seek a permit to kill the wolf, which is a protected species throughout the European Union, and is seeking support and approval from the agriculture ministry. On Wednesday, a child was pushed over by a wolf in Austerlitz, marking the second such incident in two weeks and leading to the closure of a popular walking area.

Wolf experts have acknowledged the aberrant behavior, noting its previous involvement in incidents with another girl and a dog in Leusden. Despite the rise in wolf sightings and attacks on livestock since wolves returned to the Netherlands in 2019, there have been no serious injuries reported. A conservation group has advocated against shooting the animal, suggesting that urgent advisories are more appropriate.

(With inputs from agencies.)