Wolves hardly seem to like sheep: these animals are on their menu much more often

Researchers investigated more than 700 excrements of wolves that lived in the two areas in the Netherlands in 2023: De Veluwe and Drenthe. And there were a number of striking results that also apply to Flanders. Namely that the wolf likes a sheep, but that it is certainly not his favorite cost.

The research started during Corona. A Portuguese master’s student on the Uantwerpen then wanted to investigate the diet of Leeuwen in Kenya. But the pandemia put a stop to that. And so the plans were adjusted. In collaboration with the Center for Environmental Sciences at Leiden University, Stichting Leo and the Mammal Association, the eating habits of De Wolf were investigated in the Netherlands, says guest professor at Uantwerpen Hans de Iongh.

Undeternified remains in the droppings that were picked up shows that wolves in the Veluwe (nature reserve) mainly wild boar (present in 59 percent of droppings), red deer (18 percent) and deer (16 percent) eat.

Wild boar and red deer are rare in Drenthe (agricultural area). Here mainly roe deer (53 percent) are on the menu. In addition, nature cattle such as Galloways (almost 40 percent), which are used for nature management, and sheep (6 percent) were found in the stool.

A small percentage of traces of Haasachtigen has also been found in both studies.

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« After all, the wolf is an incredible opportunist, we learned. For example, he catches deer and deer after the Bronze Age because they are then exhausted. Or little boars in April and May if they are still very vulnerable, » says Professor de Iongh.

That sheep do not seem to be a larger part of the wolf’s diet, also surprises researcher Glenn Lelieveld, given the high number of reports of attacks on sheep. « Possible explanation is that wolves kill more sheep than they consume, because the sheep often do not flee and are therefore an easy prey. »

« Possible explanation is that wolves kill more sheep than they consume, because the sheep often do not flee »

Glenn Lelieveld

Researcher

« Furthermore, those attacks can be the work of free, running adolescent wolves. They are still looking for their own territory. Researchers have not been able to investigate the droppings of these animals because they are not easy to find, » the researchers said.

Pimp

What applies to the Netherlands also has for Flanders. « Although we did not investigate excrement here for this report, we have to make the comparison with Drenthe rather than the Veluwe and state that wolves in Flanders want to eat grazers earlier. The calves, for example, because an adult Galloway, for example, cannot cope with a wolf and they will not try to attack. »

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The droppings were investigated in two ways. The DNA of eaten animals was looked at. And to undigested remains such as hair, feathers, bone residues and other prey residues. That DNA analysis revealed something striking: wolves also eat small birds such as the blue tit. But also fruit that they find in nature.