The male wolf that has been given the name Maurice by wolf-watchers has not been spotted since late August. The Flemish Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO) told VRT News that as he has not been seen since 28 August, it fears that Maurice is dead.
The other members of the pack that lives in the north of Limburg Provinces have been spotted several times since Maurice was last seen. INBO scientists have suspected that Maurice has been dead for some time now “After carefully examining all our camera footage, we have no choice but to conclude that the male wolf is no longer there.” Field searches have also been carried out, but no sign of Maurice was found.
INBO says that it is highly unlikely that Maurice would have left without the rest of his pack. "That almost never happens with wolves that have cubs.” The last time he was seen Maurice was limping. "Among healthy wolves, the natural mortality rate is around 12 per cent. It is significantly higher among those that are injured", a INBO spokesperson said.
Maurice arrived in Belgium in spring 2024, having left the Veluwe region in the east of the Netherlands after his companion was killed in a road traffic accident. He had also been hit by a car, but survived with a permanent injury that left him with a limp. While in Belgium, he met a female wolf that was given the name Noëlla.
Two adult females
The pair’s cubs were born in spring this year and are now almost fully grown. It is believed that there are at least seven cubs.
These young wolves will soon start hunting on their own and they are inexperienced and curious will probably venture closer to roads, increasing the risk of death or injury in road traffic accidents.
With the disappearance (and probable death) of Maurice, there are now only two adult wolves are confirmed to be living in Flanders. They are Noëlla in the north of Limburg Province and a female wolf that has been given the name of Emma in that lives in the north of Antwerp Province. In August, a new wolf was spotted in Bosland National Park in Hechtel-Eksel, but it has not yet been determined whether it has settled there permanently.