Wolf spotted in broad daylight on the streets of Mol
The non-profit group Welkom Wolf (Welcome Wolf) reports that there were several confirmed sightings of a wolf in Mol (Antwerp Province) on Thursday. The animal was a young wolf. It was first spotted around noon on Thursday in woodland near to the intersection of Greesstraat and Belsebaan. An hour later, the animal crossed the Mol South Ring Road and headed towards the Mol Nete Valley. A motorist was able to photograph the wolf.
The wolf was then not seen again until Thursday night. Once darkness had fallen, the wolf turned up again at the other side of the Mol Nete valley in Mol-Ezaart. Where the animal spent the rest of the night is not clear. A spokesperson for Welkom Wolf said that “A roaming wolf can travel up to 80km in one night”.
The non-profit organisation stresses that wolves are harmless to humans and that the even steer clear of them. “Wolves that have an established territory mainly live off game, but roaming wolves tend to migrate through areas they don't know at all and where game is therefore more difficult to find. Consequently, they are also more likely to eat unprotected small livestock that cross their path.”
Where did the wolf come from?
The wolf could be a young wolf from the Limburg wolf pack, but it could also have come from (much) further afield. Its current trek to find a place to establish a permanent hunting ground might not end here in Belgium. Young wolves travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometres until they find a suitable place to establish their territory and find a mate. It is highly unlikely that the wolf will remain in the Mol area for very long.