Wolf Attack on Sheep Prompts Camp Safety Review in Wallonia

The mayor of Léglise, a municipality in Belgium’s Luxembourg province, has announced a review of 19 planned youth camps after a devastating wolf attack on a local sheep flock, while wildlife experts insist there is no reason for public alarm.

In the night of July 2 to 3, a wolf or wolf pair attacked a flock of 26 Suffolk and Texel sheep owned by the Damien family in Louftemont, a village in the municipality of Léglise. Fifteen sheep were found dead, and five others were so severely wounded they had to be euthanized. A Suffolk breeding male was killed in a second pasture 300 meters away later that day, bringing the total loss to 20-21 animals, according to VRT NWS.

Context and Background

The attack occurred in pastures approximately 400 meters from the nearest houses and near the Forêt d’Anlier (Anlier Forest), where a wolf pair has been established for about a year. Until now, this pair had fed exclusively on wild game and had never attacked livestock, the RTBF reports. DNA samples have been collected by the Département de la Nature et des Forêts (DNF), and all signs are consistent with a wolf attack.

Vinciane Schockert, an expert from Wallonia’s Department for the Study of the Natural and Agricultural Environment, told RTBF that the attack could indicate the pair has pups to feed. “Until now, this pair fed mainly on wild animals. We don’t yet have proof of juveniles, but today’s attack could point in that direction,” she said.

Mayor’s Response

Mayor Simon Huberty (MR) visited the scene and expressed deep concern about the 19 youth camps, including scout camps, planned in the municipality this summer. “Starting Monday, we will review the location of each camp to see where they are situated relative to the Anlier Forest. Together with specialists, we will specifically investigate what measures may be needed,” Huberty told RTBF. “I just want to be guaranteed that there is no danger.”

Depending on each camp’s proximity to the forest, the mayor said measures could range from additional precautions to full relocation.

Expert Reassurance

Biologist and wolf expert Joachim Mergeay of the INBO (Research Institute for Nature and Forest) has firmly stated there is no reason for concern regarding children’s safety. “Canceling camps is absolutely not necessary,” Mergeay told VRT NWS. “There are wolves all over Europe, and people camp among them everywhere. It is extremely rare for a wolf to attack a human. In Belgium, it has never happened.”

Mergeay noted that July and August are always high-risk months for livestock attacks, as wolves seek extra food for their young. He advised youth groups to remain calm if they encounter a wolf, to slowly back away, and never to approach or feed the animal. “Problem wolves only arise when they are fed by humans at a young age and lose their natural fear,” he explained.

Farmer’s Devastation

For farmer Philippe Damien, the loss is catastrophic. “It’s horror, they were everywhere. It must have been a vacation camp for the wolves. Everything is gone,” he told RTL Info. The farmer said he lost an entire genetic line of Texel sheep developed over more than ten years of selective breeding.

Nicolas Yernaux, spokesperson for the Service Public de Wallonie (SPW), confirmed that the farmer will receive compensation. “A sheep is not just a sheep, so a precise analysis will be done independently and the farmer will be compensated, even if that will never repay the loss and trauma it costs him,” Yernaux said.

Analysis and Implications

The incident highlights the growing tension between wildlife conservation and agricultural interests as wolves return to Belgium. Wolves are a strictly protected species under the EU Habitats Directive, and approximately 20 wolves in six packs now inhabit Belgian territory. In 2025, 23 wolf attacks on sheep or goats were recorded in Wallonia, though no attacks on humans have ever been reported in Belgium.

Across Europe, between 2002 and 2020, wolves were implicated in only 13 non-fatal incidents, while dogs were responsible for 599 to 827 human deaths in the same period, according to SPW data cited by RTL Info.

What’s Next

Mayor Huberty is scheduled to meet with specialists on Monday, July 6, to review the locations of all 19 planned camps. The Walloon government continues to fund electric fencing and is considering the use of guard dogs to protect livestock. Whether this incident will reignite the broader political debate on wolf management in Belgium and the EU remains an open question.