A new, female wolf has been spotted in the Oudsbergen nature reserve in the Limburg province, images by the Agency for Forest and Nature confirm.
The new wolf is a female, and was given the name Noëlla, as she was first spotted around Christmas time.
Several weeks ago, forest rangers found a series of paw prints in Oudsbergen, and specialists of the Nature and Forst Research Institute (INBO) immediately checked to see if the paw prints matched those of August, the male wolf that is often signalled in Flanders, or if there was a new wolf.
Due to the clear size difference, the specialists confirmed that the prints were not August's.
Translation of Facebook post: "Great news to end the year. A female wolf has definitely been spotted in the habitat of wolf August. In wolf country, the mating season is in February, which makes us dream for 2020! Happy end of the year!"
On 30 December, the first images of the new wolf were caught on a wild-life camera, and the INBO has confirmed that the wolf is female, based on its stature, the new paw prints and the location, reports Het Nieuwsblad.
As Noëlla has been spotted in August's habitat, a new chance of cubs is not excluded, as the mating season for wolves is approaching.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
