How wolves cross the road: has a predator really been spotted in Luxembourg?

A testimony that has caused excitement among residents of northern Luxembourg came on Friday from a local resident named Geoffrey. He said he and a colleague were travelling by car from the golf club in Clervaux towards Wiltz when a large animal suddenly ran across the road. At first he thought it was a dog, but after a second he had no more doubts: "It wasn't just a dog. He ran out of the thicket and moved low to the ground as if he was hiding. I felt it immediately - it was a wolf," he shared.

The Administration de la nature et des forêts (ANF) has not yet made a final judgement, but admits that the first images do not exclude the possibility that it was indeed a wolf. The organisation's experts will start analysing the photos on Monday to determine whether the sighting falls into one of five monitoring categories, ranging from "proven presence" to "mistaken sighting".

Such cases are extremely rare. According to official ANF data, only two visual wolf sightings and one camera trap sighting have been confirmed in the beginning of 2025 in recent years. The last time a wolf was officially confirmed in the Clairvaux area was in August 2023, when a sheep was found dead near the village of Lieler.

The reappearance of wolves in the country is linked to their slow but steady return to Western Europe. After almost disappearing in the 20th century, wolves began to repopulate regions across the border - mainly from Germany and France. Luxembourg, with its mosaic of farmland and forests, has become part of this new range map.

However, despite the frequency of news reports, the wolf remains an extremely cautious and stealthy predator, preferring to avoid contact with humans. Observations like the one Jeffrey made are more the exception to the rule.

ANF reminds citizens: any possible signs of wolf presence - be it photos, tracks or incidents of attacks on livestock - should be sent to wolf@anf.etat.lu. This will not only help to accurately map the predator's movements, but also to assess possible risks to agriculture and biodiversity.