Two new litters of wolf cubs have been spotted in the south of Belgium, with observatory cameras showing that at least seven cubs have been born.
The Walloon public service SPW (Service Public de Wallonie) announced on Friday that, as was expected, the two pairs of wolves in the wolf's Permanent Presence Zone (ZPP) in the High Fens region of the Ardennes have reproduced and given birth to young cubs this spring.
Photographs show that the litter of male Akela and female Maxima – their third litter by now – has at least five cubs. Akela was first spotted in the area in June 2018. Later, in 2020, Maxima appeared. Both wolves are from a German-Polish lineage. In 2021 and 2022, the pair also gave birth to cubs.
The second wolf pair referred to as the Eifel wolves, consisting of a daughter of Akela and Maxima from their first litter and a male of Italian-Alpine origin, gave birth to two cubs. "In both cases, the cubs are probably between three and four months old," the SPW noted.
"Various clues were collected in the field and sent to a laboratory for genetic analysis. They may enable us to refine these observations in terms of both numbers and gender."
Preventing attacks
The cubs are often born in May and stay in the den, where the wolf family resides, for a month. To feed the cubs, the parents intensify their hunting to feed their young and meet their important physiological needs.
In some cases, they will attack other animals. "This period can be sensitive for neighbouring farms, as the adults, in a hurry to feed their offspring, will try to find food as quickly as possible."
To prevent the risks to local residents, the SPW and the non-profit organisation NATAGRIWAL (which provides information and advice to farmers and farm owners) have for several years been carrying out preventive actions to help farmers protect themselves from attacks, including by erecting fences.
One of the four wolf pups from a litter in 2021. Credit: ANB/ INBO
"This summer, there have so far been two attacks on domestic animals since the cubs were born, one on a sheep in Jalhay and two others in Bütgenbach," the SPW said. "We will have to wait until the end of September to make a definitive assessment."
"These are obviously still two attacks too many, but with two packs in the region, it is much less than the eight attacks (which claimed 31 victims) recorded during the first litter census in Wallonia in the summer of 2021. This is proof that this prevention work is bearing fruit," it concluded.
