Ardennes beast thought to be wolf

(JB) A TV crew has shot footage of what is thought to be the first wolf in the Ardennes for 110 years.

Just a year after a panther was reportedly spotted in Belgium, TV crews tracking down what they expected to be a lynx filmed a male wolf.

The discovery was made in Gedinne, near Bouillon, about 40 kilometres from the Luxembourg border, in the heart of the remote Belgian Ardennes region.

The search began after eight sheep were reportedly found mauled to death near Gedinne. A TV crew installed cameras trained on a sheep carcass to attract the animal back. After a short wait, the creature returned and the crew shot footage of what they now believe to be a male wolf.

The creature, which had white stains on the head, has been positively identified by one wolf expert.

While the spotting is good news for conservationists, it has yet to be officially confirmed as a wolf sighting. According to RTBF only a DNA sample could provide conclusive proof.

Wolves have not been seen in Belgium since the last one was killed in 1898.