Dozens of reports of wolf wandering the streets of Sint-Job-in-'t-Goor
On Tuesday the not-for-profit group Welkom Wolf (Welcome Wolf) received dozens of reports from members of the public that had spotted a wolf wandering the streets of Sint-Job-in-'t-Goor, in Antwerp Province. Welkom Wolf says that the animal is a young wolf that is in search a permanent territory to set up home.
Welkom Wolf's Jan Loos told VRT News that "The wolf has been seen countless times in the centre of Sint-Job-in-'t-Goor. We are almost able to make a minute-by-minute reconstruction of the route he has taken thanks to video footage, photographs and reports from people that have seen him. It is really fascinating”.
"The reaction from the public has been quite positive. People are above either surprised or they think that it is fantastic. Relatively few people are negative or afraid. Most people realise that a wolf doesn’t belong here and will more on to pastures new”.
“Lost wolf”
Mr Loos went on to say that the wolf is lost and is looking for a suitable habitat to establish its territory.
"He of course doesn’t know the surroundings. He is just walking and trying to find a place where he can live, but he is lost in towns. We now see that the wolf has turned back and is heading north. His search to find a suitable habitat can last for months. It is a lonely and stressful trek for the wolf”.
Where the wolf came from is still unclear. "He resembles a wolf seen in Mol and Retie (both Antwerp Province), which could mean the wolf comes from the Limburg pack. But by the same token he could be from the Ardennes, or from the area around Kalmthout (Antwerp Province). A wolf has also been seen there before."