A wolf has been spotted in the Poperinge municipality in West Flanders for the first time in centuries, the Institute for Nature and Forest Research confirmed on Tuesday.
The wolf may have come from the north of France, the Nature and Forest Agency said, adding that this roaming behaviour is normal and that no damage has been reported.
"Both the reports and the images received by the Welcome Wolf hotline leave no room for doubt: for the first time, a wolf has found its way to West Flanders," the organisation said in a press release.
While "the first time" may be an exaggeration, Jan Loos of the Welcome Wolf organisation clarified that it had been over 200 years since a wolf had made its way to the province of West Flanders.
The animal was spotted in the municipality of Poperinge on Tuesday morning and most likely originates from France. "If it had been a Flemish wolf, it would have been on our radar much earlier," said Loos. "But we are not entirely sure, because a wolf can travel as far as 80 km in one night. So it could have also come from the Netherlands and crossed West Flanders in one night."
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However, the animal will most likely not stay in the province as it is unsuitable for wolves, Loos explained. "They have a huge need for space and wooded areas, which they don't have in West Flanders. The wolf will probably hang around for a few weeks at most and then move on."
Several wolves have been spotted in Belgium in recent years, but mainly in the Limburg province on the other side of the country. The first of these, named Naya, was spotted in the country about five years ago and there is now an estimated 24 wolves living in Belgium.
Welcome Wolf is asking for reported sightings of the new wolf. Additional information can be found on welkomwolf.be.
