Free-ranging cattle and the return of the wolf: behavioral responses and implications for conservation management

Over the last decades, wolves have considerably expanded their distribution in Europe. Their range expansion even led to recolonizing densely human-populated countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands. The few available studies on the effects of returning wolves in these landscapes focus primarily on the behavioral responses of wild ungulates, such as deer. While livestock in intensive farming practices can be protected against wolves, free-ranging cattle in nature areas often have to protect themselves. How these cattle respond to the returned wolves is thus far unclear, yet highly relevant for conservation management. There is very little information about how free-ranging cattle respond to the re-appearance of wolves in terms of anti-predator behavior and ability to defend themselves. In June 2022, a newly established wolf pair was located in a natural area in Drenthe. This natural area is grazed year-round by free-ranging Galloway cattle, a small and hornless primitive breed commonly used in conservation management. Here, we reported on the behavioral responses of the herd following two wolf attacks that occurred at nighttime in April 2023, the first caught on wildlife cameras in the Netherlands. During these events, the Galloways showed a clear behavioral response: they became active, restless and vigilant, and showed grouping behavior, presumably to protect the calves. Chasing behavior towards the attacking wolf was even exhibited by some individuals. The reported attacks did not result in killed or injured cattle. These two well-documented wolf-cattle interactions show promising information as they highlight anti-predator behaviors from an unexperienced cattle breed, all within a year of the wolves' return. We broadly discuss the relevance of these findings for grazing management, including selection for breeds, anti-predator behaviors, and impact of herd structure and size, and we provide avenues for future research to address current knowledge gaps.