The Wolvenopvang- en Studiecentrum is a Belgian association with protective and educational objectives through the entire BeNeLux (Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg).

1. Our objectives

1. Our main goal is the defence of the Wolf in freedom and from its natural habitat because both cannot be separated.
2. Improving the living conditions of the wolves in captivity. Some will speak about semi freedom to indicate wolves which profit from a more significant vital space. Their prison is perhaps a little more comfortable but it is always a prison. The Wolf is not made to live between nettings.
3. Organize campaigns of information and sensitizing the public, schools, other organizations, etc...
4. Avoid hybridization dog - wolf.

The Wolf in Freedom

Belgium does not have any more wolves in a wild state since 1905 approximately.  It would be absurd to want artificially to reintroduce him and this without precautions. That would be the equivalent of sending these animals to an unquestionable death so their detractors would early have made come out all their false pretexts in order to eliminate the Canis lupus.

In addition, Belgium is a small country and, as in much other places of our planet, the human demographic pressure is enormous (332 inhabitants with the km²). The territories where the Wolf could adapt are not sufficient.

Mentalities and especially the behaviours in regard to Nature must change. Even if it is true that the image of the Wolf somewhat has improved in the public opinion, there still remains a considerable work to achieve.

This is why we seek to come into contact with a maximum of associations of defence of the Wolf.

Initially, we intend to constitute a library and of let circulate the collected information's, not only between the associations, but to the large public as well.

Another valuable issue is the bundle our activities of the protection of the wolf, this with an European face, even through the whole world.

The Wolf in captivity

We collect Wolves that private individuals, zoos or circuses do not want any more or cannot preserve any more without us to occupy ourselves of the reasons which generated separation, essence being to avoid the euthanasia of the animals.

At present, our boarders are placed in enclosures of quarantine in Boorsem, very close to Maasmechelen in the Province of Limbourg in Belgium.  Here we shelter 5 animals.  At another location in Zolder(B), we shelter 6 wolves.

We soon hope to be able to have vaster grounds in order to offer our companions living conditions  a little bit more in accordance with freedom.

All our Wolves are vaccinated and provided with a microchip of identification.

It is however excluded that our friends can reproduce. We want absolutely to limit their populations. Not taking this elementary precaution would bring, undoubtedly and in the more or less short term, conflicts between the wolves with, in the majority of the cases, a fatal outcome for the rejected animals. It is accordingly that all the male are sterilized and not castrated.  Sterilization offers a double advantage : no changes in the individual morphology as well no changes in their sexual behaviour.

3. A didactic mission

It is not enough to give our support for other associations nor to collect unhappy animals.

It is essential to inform the public on the true nature of the wolf, to fight the stupid legends which swarm in our society since centuries and which have the tough life to the wolves.

To make discover the public that the social and family organizations of the wolf are close to perfection is one of our privileged objectives.

There is another objective to which we attach even more importance: to explain the fundamental role of the Wolf in Nature. As super predator of Northern hemisphere (by super predator, we understand an animal who does not have another predator), Canis lupus controls a great number of different species in a natural manner, therefore favourable to the maintenance of their good general health and to their survival.

In this didactic approach, we denounce the methods of hunting currently practised (poisons, traps - of which some are raised ten days later, scooter hunting and hunting by helicopters) as well the real goals of these methods.

We also approach problematic plans of control.

In order to present most completely the situation of the Wolf, its history, its present and its future, we wrote an educational course in Dutch what will have to be adapted according to the age of the readers. Translations into other languages are laid down.

4. Public Relations

• We are open to have contacts with all associations in order to protect the wolf in Europe.
• We wish to contribute to every European initiative in order to distribute our information's.
• Having contacts with official services like national governments as well the European comity should help us all together to accomplish our mutual goal  HELP THE WOLF.

Wolven Opvang- en Studiecentrum
Hoenderbroekstraat 116
B3620-Lanaken (Belgium)

President :    P. Lennertz (tel/fax :+32 (0)89 722229)
Public Relations (french) : P. Thoumsin (tel :+32 (0)87 228022 ; fax :+32 (0)87 224437; e-mail : leopold.thoumsin@skynet.be
Public Relations (dutch+other) J. DeKinderen (tel :+32 (0)89 775770 ; fax :+32(0)89 774941

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