Parents in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality are asking the municipal council how their children can safely get to school, when the route runs through an area where wolves are regularly seen.
DR reports that Max Aaen put the question to the council in Ringkøbing-Skjern on Tuesday. His youngest daughter is eight years old and attends the village school Hee Skole.
The route to the school is about five kilometers. It runs through forest and past open fields, in an area where wolves are also seen moving around. According to DR, the family does not dare let the girl cycle it.
Aaen also has daughters aged 14 and 16. Both have several kilometers to school or to the nearest bus stop. As reported by DR, there is no public transportation in the area, and the parents drive the children when they can.
The family says the municipality has refused to let the school bus pass their address. The starting point is that children may walk or cycle up to six kilometers to school, DR writes.
Mayor Lone Andersen of Venstre told DR she understands the concern, but does not see it as a task the municipality can solve. She said the municipality does what it can with the existing bike paths and buses. Residents who see a wolf that comes too close and is not shy should report it to Naturstyrelsen, per the mayor.
Ole Kjær of Danmarksdemokraterne sits on the municipality’s children and family committee. He told DR that running buses for all children living in the countryside is not economically viable. He would prefer that hunters be allowed to shoot the wolf, or that the bill for buses be placed on Christiansborg.
Rising wolf numbers
In spring 2026, experts estimated that there are around 49 adult wolves in Denmark, according to DR. All 11 wolf pairs were expected to have had cubs during the spring. That means more young wolves looking for territory of their own.
Jens Skovager Østergaard is an office head at Styrelsen for Grøn Arealomlægning og Vandmiljø. In a written reply to DR Nyheder, he stated that he understands why some residents are worried. His recommendation is that people keep using nature in Denmark as before.
He added that it is a good idea to talk with children about what they may meet outdoors, so they know how to react if they see a wolf. Authorities shot a wolf described as a problem animal near Houstrup, south of Ringkøbing Fjord, on August 13, 2026, DR notes.
Aaen told DR he has had that conversation with his daughters. He doubts, however, that they would be able to scare a wolf away if they felt threatened. He said he would not step into a wolf enclosure at a wildlife park himself.
