Belgians have taken to social media to express their worry over the fate of Naya, a well-known wolf with a territory in the Limburg forest in Flanders.
Concerns stem from the fact that Naya and her cubs have not been seen for a considerable period of time.
Theories offered by the public range from Naya having left Belgium to her being poisoned or shot. One goes so far as to suggest she has been strangled by her tracking collar, despite the fact it was removed some time ago.
Experts, however, are yet to offer up a theory.
"We don't have anything concrete", says Koen Van Den Berge of the Institute for Nature and Forest Research to Het Niewusblad.
"All we can say is: it's strange that Naya and her boy haven't passed a single wildlife camera yet. We can't ignore that: it's no longer normal that they don't show up," Van Den Berge added.
The only sighting reported was that of the silhouette of an adult wolf and some of its young at the edge of a forest. However, no other indications have been found in the region, so the sighting cannot be confirmed.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
