On November 4, a third attack was observed on an eighth sheep, in Chimay.
So, are the wolves established in the region? “At this stage, there had never been any evidence of the presence of wolves in the region, even though there is a lot of forest and game in the area. And since then, we have no more had no traces either.
The main hypothesis is therefore that it is a dispersing wolf, which was forced to leave its pack and which is seeking to establish itself somewhere. He is prospecting a territory…”
Sébastien Lezaca, naturalist at the national park, confirms this hypothesis: “It is very probably a dispersant. It will wander until it settles in one place and therefore, everything is random as far as it is concerned. It can settle for a week in Cul-des-Sarts then leave further. Here, the only certainty we have is that he passed through there.
A territory that suits the species
Would the game-filled forests of the south of Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse be suitable for wolves? “Yes, for sure. There is room. There are forests. There is foodhe adds. The only limiting element is the road network. The denser it is, the fewer wolves there are…”
Generally speaking, there are 300 km2 for a pack. “But we observe that in the Hautes Fagnes, he is satisfied with less. We can conclude that our forests could accommodate a pack, or even two small ones. But once again, nothing is ever certain with the wolf. We must consider its cohabitation with neighboring packs, and then take into account the entire territory, including the French side!”
On this subject, Nicolas Yernaux confirms a collaboration between the Walloon Department of Nature and Forestry and the National Forestry Office, in addition to Brûly: “There are very close links between us, including also with our services in the Beauraing region. I know that the ONF has placed quite a few cameras in the forest but for the moment, our French colleagues have not revealed signs of installation.”
Six months for livestock protection
And on the Belgian side, what will be the attitude of the authorities after this confirmation of the passage of the wolf? “We continue to collect clues. It could be hairs on a fence or droppings. Everything is collected. And if, in six months, the presence of the same wolf is confirmed in the same area, based on DNA analyses, We will consider that it is established in the region. We will then put in place a mechanism to help farmers so that they can equip themselves and protect their livestock. explains Nicolas Yernaux.
Should we fear it during our walks in the forest? No, reassures Sébastien Lezaca: “The bad wolf exists, that’s for sure. But only in stories! There is therefore no danger for humans. On the other hand, for breeders, it is an additional subject of concern, that’s for sure. It depends on where you are, obviously. But we must keep in mind that nothing is predictable with the wolf. We can very well see dispersants passing through for years, without any pack settling in the area for 20 years. And there may be a pack, which suddenly collapses due to a car accident. With the wolf, everything is diffuse…”
