A third pack of wolves has been spotted in Wallonia's Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) area, the Walloon Public Service, SPW, announced on Wednesday.
The new 'Southern High Fens Pack' includes at least four cubs.
The pack was tracked down thanks to photo research, genetic analyses and clues in the field. According to experts from the SPW’s Wolf Network, a male from the Northern High Fens Pack settled on the edge of the parental territory and “captured” a female who was “on the move.” The pair’s young, identified far from other packs, led to the conclusion that this was a new pack.
The nature reserve now includes the Southern High Fens, Northern High Fens and Northern Eifel packs, each of which has at least four cubs.
The discovery of a third pack has no impact on the wolves’ zone of permanent presence (ZPP), as the animals have settled less than 20 kilometres from the parental territory.
Only three attacks on livestock herds took place this summer, resulting in the death of five sheep. When the first pack settled in 2021, eight attacks were recorded with a total of 31 casualties.
The SPW also reported that a wolf was killed on a Walloon road on 5 September. Genetic analyses showed that the animal was from the second litter of the Northern High Fens Pack.
