The wolf has returned

At the end of September 2010 I published a post on the expected permanent return of the wolf to the Netherlands within 10 to15 years. When in the last week of August this year a wolf was spotted along the motorway in Duiven (near the German border) it was reported in all major national news sources as the first wolf in NL since 1869. The evidence, blurry pictures from a car window, was not to everybody satisfaction and it took another full month before another report was published mentioning sightings of a wolf in the area. The story mentions several sightings at the Ramenberg, 20 kilometers (and several busy motor-way crossing) to the North-West of the original sighting. The foundation responsible for the maintenance of the Veluwe National Park cites the presence of the wolf as proof for its successful policies that is making the wolf 'feel home' again. I wonder if that is not overstating the case: the Wolven-in-Nederland website, that argues for the return of the species specifically says that it is highly unlikely for human to see wolves in areas where they are abundant. I suppose that a wolf that makes him or herself visible many times in a short period of time is not a happy wolf. 

Still: better eaten by a wolf than being hit by a Mercedes.