First possible wolf killed by car in the Netherlands

[Goatboy]

It's either that or I have to fork out 50 quid of my own money to see a psychic who will contact the spirit of the dead otter, just so we can know that it's happy now and it feels a connection with the letter 'P'.

"Now, does crayfish mean anything to anyone here tonight?"

 

[Bushwhacker]

"Now, does crayfish mean anything to anyone here tonight?"

Haha!
"Not cray, umm....ray.....anyone know a ray?......anyone know a person..with eyes...and a mouth?"

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Most if not all dead wolves found in France (including those shot by the authorities) end up on a stainless steel table. As bushwhacker said, the corpses are a mine of scientific information.

This particular wolf has the dubious title of being the first recorded wolf killed by a train in France. (apparently it's fairly common in Italy). He died on the night 5/6 December in 2011, he was a young male, weighed 22 kilos & his stomach was full of...................grapes..................which poses the question, where did it get grapes in December ?

 

[Niels]

Does a wolf even need fruit and vegetables? I thought their body made it's own vitamines And that they eat the stomach contents of deer and get vitamines and fibres out of that.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Does a wolf even need fruit and vegetables? I thought their body made it's own vitamines And that they eat the stomach contents of deer and get vitamines and fibres out of that.

Wolves are opportunists & their primary concern is filling their stomachs, they'll eat fruit & nuts if they find some, they'll feed on rubbish tips too if they can.............dietary needs don't really come into it, it's more about not going hungry & getting an easy meal without using too much energy or taking unneccessary risks.

Wolves in Spain & Italy are well known from raiding the vineyards & will take several kilos of grapes at a time, the odd thing about the wolf I posted is that it is late in the year to still have grapes in the vineyards. (maybe he had found another source.

Interestingly grapes are supposed to be toxic for dogs but apparently wolves haven't read this.

 

[Goatboy]

Quite often find a carnivore will eat a herbivores stomach contents as it helps them digest the vegetative matter in there as the works partially done. Carnivores need vegetative matter too.

 

[Niels]

An article in English for those interested:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/could-the-wolf-return-to-western-europe-8703910.html

It even mentions the wolf found here.

 

[santaman2000]

Quite often find a carnivore will eat a herbivores stomach contents as it helps them digest the vegetative matter in there as the works partially done. Carnivores need vegetative matter too.

Exactly. With canines anyway. They can't digest MOST vegetative matter on their own but they do need it. In captivity they're fed either with a commercial dog food (which contains veg matter processed to the point they can digest it) or with cooked veg that they can digest. In the wild they eat it from the stomache of their prey as yu say.

 

[treefrog]

Although the Daily Mail reaction is less than (predictably) positive

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...years-sparking-fears-soon-arrive-Britain.html

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

Sad but exciting at the same time.

I'd like to see wolves make a comeback in Europe and maybe even Britain but it has to be said, I'm not a farmer, so I can see that mine might not be the only opinion on that.

Talking as a ex-gamekeeper I would like to see them make a come back too mostly to keep the roe deer population down an to some extent wild bore (mostly feral pigs), also as odd as this sounds I want another apex predator other than us in the British isles.

They're protected by law here. I just hope they don't go shooting them like they shot that first bear in Germany a few years ago.
I think the sheep farmers should take measures against the wolves with guard dogs and such. And the governement should pay or at least contribute to these measures.

I am not 100% on this but want it in eastern Germany right on the boarder? From what I know (googleing shows up lots of PETA affiliates and I haven't got the boredom of lack of sanity threshold to filter them all), the hunter who shot it was not expecting to find a bear and when it challenged him for either a shot deer the hunter was tracking or just encroached on it he felt threatened enough to shoot it. While it was sad a bear died, I will always say a animal that is capable of killing a human acting in a threatening way is fair game.

But I really hope they are showing up in the Netherlands as they are one creature that is sorely missing from modern life in the EU, having said that I have read a theiory that the reason we ended up with the Toy Poodle an Pug is the Smart wolves thought these monkeys arnt bad they give us food and make fire warm us so turned into dogs and the idiots thought **** the monkeys with fire I like my deer bloody and raw.

 

[Niels]

Although the Daily Mail reaction is less than (predictably) positive

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...years-sparking-fears-soon-arrive-Britain.html

They made the return of the wolves sound pretty much as bad as you can make it sound and most of it still sounded like a good thing to me. Is that bad?

 

[demographic]

Although the Daily Mail reaction is less than (predictably) positive

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...years-sparking-fears-soon-arrive-Britain.html

Surprise surprise, the Daily Wail worried about immigrant wolves, coming over here stealing our dog food, getting preferential kennel space and cheap veterinary attention yada yada yada, ad infinitum.

Besides, they are a bit late on that one cos one of my brothers had a pair of dogs that were quite a high percentage wolf a while ago.

 

[Niels]

You know, I actually wanted a wolfdog at first, and than my mum was like: how about a chihuahua. And I said: no way, let's have something inbetween and that's how we ended up with a Finnish Lapphund. If I ever grow up and have another dog I may very well yet get a wolfhound though. They're so beautiful.

 

[Goatboy]

Niels, used to have an Irish Wolfhound called Nelson. 12 stone (76kg) of fun and softness - unless you were a rabbit or a deer. Very good hunter and because he was so big bad folk never looked at you twice. Loved to give the local kids rides on his back. Great animals.

Though I take it you want a wolf like dog rather than a wolf hunting war hound?

 

[santaman2000]

You know, I actually wanted a wolfdog at first.....

I had one from 1992 until 2005. She was half Grey Wolf and half Alaskan Malamute (which actually has wolf as part of it's foundation stock so in actuality she was over half wolf) She was 4 years old when I got her so she was 17 when I finally had to have her put down due to age. She was one of the most gentle dogs I've ever had (with people) and as I said earlier, she had absolutely NO prey drive (not even with the cats and squirrels) She would not tolerate completion from another female dog when she was in heat however. She would kill them if she could.

She was amazing with kids though. She let them (even seemed to enjoy it) when they pulled and tugged at her and tried to ride her and even let them take food out of her mouth. When my daughter was pregnant with her first son, the wolf sensed it and dug a den in the back yard!

I'll never get another here though because of the climate. She suffered terribly from the heat after she was about 12 years old and I had to keep her inside in the air conditioning during the day..

 

[treefrog]

If I ever grow up and have another dog I may very well yet get a wolfhound though. They're so beautiful.

Funny that, yours has inspired me to get a Finnish Lapphund next

 

[huntergathereralex]

This is indeed very interesting news. All the previous posts are quite cogent, for and against wolves in Europe. In all your opinions, how does 'Rewilding' fit into your viewpoint? Here in N. America there is gobs of land that can be put aside for rewilding, maybe not so much in Europe in general and the UK in particular. When I mention rewilding, I'm not talking about what some groups here want, rewilding all the way back to the Paleolithic. I'm more in line with lets say, back to the bronze age flora and fauna as a base for rewilding. I mean look at the uproar of reintroduction of the wolf in Europe, how do you think people would react to Aurochs and Wooly Mammoth strolling down the M5 or uprooting your garden in the North Hants somewhere?
Again, random ponderings.
Cheers
Alex

 

[Niels]

This is indeed very interesting news. All the previous posts are quite cogent, for and against wolves in Europe. In all your opinions, how does 'Rewilding' fit into your viewpoint? Here in N. America there is gobs of land that can be put aside for rewilding, maybe not so much in Europe in general and the UK in particular. When I mention rewilding, I'm not talking about what some groups here want, rewilding all the way back to the Paleolithic. I'm more in line with lets say, back to the bronze age flora and fauna as a base for rewilding. I mean look at the uproar of reintroduction of the wolf in Europe, how do you think people would react to Aurochs and Wooly Mammoth strolling down the M5 or uprooting your garden in the North Hants somewhere?
Again, random ponderings.
Cheers
Alex

We have heck cattle in our reservations, they're supposed to be very similar to auroches. As for mammoths, I don't think the climate's cold enough anymore but if the genetical research ever goes well I'd love to see them in contained reservations in Siberia or Canada.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

I mean look at the uproar of reintroduction of the wolf in Europe,

There haven't been any reintroductions of wolves in Europe. Return of the wolf , yes, since they have arrived/ migrated from existing populations & of their own accord.

 

[huntergathereralex]

There haven't been any reintroductions of wolves in Europe. Return of the wolf , yes, since they have arrived/ migrated from existing populations & of their own accord.

Oh, sorry about that. Wasn't sure. Thought I read somewhere that the wolf was reintroduced in Scotland?
Cheers
Alex