DNA confirms that wolf was involved in incident with girl in Leusden

In fact, a wolf was involved in an incident in Leusden in which a girl suffered minor injuries earlier this month, the province of Utrecht confirmed. Wolf DNA was found on the clothes the girl was wearing that day, NOS reports.

On July 16, children at an after-school care center were playing in the Den Treek nature reserve when a wolf approached the girl from behind and bit her in the side, the daycare providers reported. The wolf immediately let go, but the child was so frightened that she fell and injured herself.

The province was initially unable to confirm whether the incident actually involved a wolf. An examination of the girl’s clothing has now confirmed this.

A female wolf and her cubs live in the nature reserve. The wolf “behaves very defensively towards dogs and people who come too close to her,” the province said. A week before the incident with the girl, a dog had disappeared from the property. A week later, four dead sheep were found a few kilometers away.

The municipality of Leusden has closed Den Treek to cyclists and hikers until August 15. The province of Utrecht also advised people to avoid the property for the time being.