A new wolf has been spotted in Hechtel-Eksel, Limburg province, according to the Flemish Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO). The animal – who has been named Maurice by researchers – comes from the northern Veluwe region of the Netherlands and appears to have formed a pair with the female wolf known as Noëlla, who has been roaming Limburg for several years.
According to INBO, there is a good chance that Maurice will start a new pack with Noëlla. “It seems they are already forming a pair. We have images of the two wolves and a remaining male yearling,” says Koen Van Muylem of the institute.
“From camera footage, we’ve noticed that Maurice has been dominant towards the younger wolf. We’ve also already seen Maurice and Noëlla marking their territory together. That gives us hope for new wolf cubs next year.”
INBO suspected there was a new wolf in the region based on CCTV images from April, and DNA analysis of animal droppings has now confirmed the presence of the wolf known in the European database as GW2398. Maurice is thought to have been born in 2020 in the Netherlands.