Minister sent death threats over plans to shoot “problem wolves”

Junior agriculture minister Silvio Erkens has received death threats following the implementation of new rules that allow provincial and local governments to shoot problematic wolves. Erkens stated that local authorities should have more power to deter wolves that have lost their fear of humans, with shooting being a last resort for "problem wolves."

This announcement faced criticism in parliament for being made without proper debate and for Erkens' comments about the shooting of a wolf named Bram in December 2025. Bram, officially designated wolf GW3237m, became a symbol for animal welfare advocates after Utrecht province granted a hunting organization a permit to kill him in July 2025.

The wolf had reportedly approached humans, including an attack on a child, leading to his death last December after campaigners lost a court battle to revoke the permit. Erkens also criticized a report by scientists at Wageningen University, which suggested that the Netherlands' wolf population should be allowed to grow for legal reasons and ecological benefits.

Currently, there are 14 wolf packs in the country, with over 100 wolves, and Erkens argued that there was "not a single realistic scenario in which you’d want 56 wolf packs." The return of wolves to the Netherlands over a decade ago has sparked significant debate, with right-wing and rural parties advocating for more culling measures, while progressive parties have called for their protection.

Under Erkens' new rules, a wolf is considered a "problem wolf" if it attacks people, reacts aggressively, or attacks horses or cattle more than once in a two-week period. Local authorities are then given various options to manage the situation, including shooting the wolf with paintball guns, or as a last resort, killing it. Erkens emphasized the importance of drawing a line if a child is attacked by a wolf.