Wolf Presence near a Temporary Sheep Pasture in Flanders: A Descriptive Camera-Trap Study

Wolves (Canis lupus) have recolonized Belgium after more than a century of absence, raising concerns about interactions with livestock in densely populated regions such as Flanders. Empirical field-based documentation of wolf behavior near protected livestock in such landscapes remains limited. This study presents a short-term, descriptive camera-trap case study documenting wolf presence near a temporary sheep pasture protected by electric fencing and livestock guardian dogs (LGDs). Nineteen camera traps monitored the pasture perimeter within a military training area in northeastern Flanders over a 16-day period in September 2023. Sheep were present for 11 days and accompanied by six LGDs. Twenty-three wolf images were recorded, corresponding to eight distinct detection events. Wolves were detected shortly after fence installation and following sheep removal. Occasional close approaches and fence inspection behavior were observed, but no fence crossings or predation events occurred. Most wolf detections occurred when sheep and LGDs were absent, although wolves were also recorded near periods of human activity. Given the observational design, causal inference is not possible. The study provides baseline documentation of wolf-livestock-LGD interactions in a densely populated European landscape.