At least 56 wolf pups born in the Netherlands this spring
BIJ12’s provisional tally includes 37 pups in Gelderland, but reports from some areas where wolves occur are still outstanding.
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At least 56 wolf pups were born in the Netherlands in spring 2026, according to BIJ12, which monitors wolves on behalf of the country’s provinces. The tally covers 37 pups in Gelderland, 13 in Drenthe and six in Utrecht. It is a minimum rather than a final count: BIJ12 said information was not yet available from all 14 areas where wolves occur. [1]
The pups in the tally were seen in wildlife-camera footage checked by specialists at BIJ12’s national wolf reporting centre, according to an ANP report. At least 52 pups were recorded in 2025, but the two minimum figures do not establish whether the actual number of births has risen. Wolf DNA testing paused over the summer because of new arrangements with the laboratory carrying out the tests, and resumed in September. The report does not say what effect, if any, that pause had on the pup count. [1]
BIJ12 does not give an estimate for the Netherlands’ total wolf population. It says wolves travel long distances, move across the country’s borders and do not always leave detectable traces. The final number of pups born this spring is also still unknown. [1]
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