Doetinchem locals were in for a surprise on Monday morning when they were greeted by the sight of a wolf that thought their backyard was cosy enough to doze in.
Yup, you read that right. 😳 Sometimes you’ll find a squirrel or a cat in your backyard in the Netherlands, or in this case — a wolf chilling outside your home.
Once the residents discovered the wolf, they immediately alerted the police. A police spokesperson stated that they “received a report that a sleeping wolf was sleeping in a backyard,” reported the NOS. (Not exactly your typical 112 emergency call.)
The police called in a veterinarian and a wolf expert, who anaesthetised the animal and transported it to a veterinarian clinic. Since the wolf appeared to be in good shape, it was later released back into the wild.
Not the first time the wolf was spotted
Earlier that day, several residents of a Facebook page called “You are a Doetinchemmer if…” had come forward to report that a wolf was walking around in the centre of Doetinchem.
A wolf was also seen on the Bleek, a lawn near the city’s shopping centre, not far from where the previous wolf was spotted. Chances are high that it was probably the same animal.
READ MORE | The first ever wombat born in the Netherlands this week
Resident Silvia de Wolf-de Wolff was enjoying a casual morning walk with her dog when she locked eyes with the big bad wolf. “At first, I thought it was a shepherd, but then the animal looked at me, and I knew: this is a wolf,” she told the NOS.
The wolf just needed a nap
While it is not clear why the wolf went to sleep in the middle of a residential area in Doetinchem, ecologist Glenn Lelieveld thinks that the animal was worn out and needed to lie down.
“It could be that the animal was looking for a place to rest, couldn’t find it and kept running until it couldn’t anymore and laid down exhausted in a backyard to recover,” Lelieveld told the NOS.
Based on its teeth, Lelieveld concludes that it was likely a young, wandering wolf. As it was uninjured, the animal was taken to a veterinary clinic, where it was allowed to recover until its release.
What would you think if you found a lying wolf in your backyard? Tell us in the comments below!