A new wolf is believed to have migrated into Denmark, with several sightings having been reported in recent weeks. Numerous residents in the Danish peninsula of Jutland say have seen the animal
, which was photographed in the area just before the New Year. The news comes a month after wildlife experts confirmed that a canine carcass found in Jutland’s Thy National Park was indeed a wolf, marking the first confirmed natural arrival of the animals on Danish soil in nearly two centuries.
Now, with a second wolf apparently in the region, experts say the animals may be travelling from Germany to Denmark to claim new territory. Wolf populations in Germany have increased substantially over the past decade, with some seemingly wandering farther to the north and the west.
Zoologist Mogens Trolle from the Statens Naturhistoriske Museum in Copenhagen told the Copenhagen Post, “Some of these wolves travel incredible distances, over 1,500 kilometres, in their search. So a good explanation for this is that the young wolves are coming to Denmark in search of a good place to settle that isn’t occupied by other wolves.”
The new resident – thought to be a young male – was photographed on 26 December by Alice Durinck near the town of Lem in Jutland. Mrs Durinck and experts alike are almost positive that the canine is a wolf.
Speaking about the image, Trolle said, “The close-up photo of the animal is of considerably better quality than the wolf photos from Thy, and it looks a lot like a grey wolf – a relative of the Thy wolf, in other words.”