Illustration photo. The prints were found over a 400-metre track of woods near Koerich-Simmern on 16 December 2018 Shutterstock

Illustration photo. The prints were found over a 400-metre track of woods near Koerich-Simmern on 16 December 2018 Shutterstock

The prints were found over a 400-metre track of woods near Koerich-Simmern on 16 December 2018.

A urine sample was also taken and sent to the Senckenberg Institute in Gelnhausen, Germany, but did not yield a result. In recent years Luxembourg developed an action management plan for the return of wolves, which have been absent from the country for 125 years.

Suspected wolf attacks on sheep have been reported in Luxembourg since 2017, with one attack occurring in Holzem, not far from where the latest tracks were.

With an estimated 12,000 grey wolves living in the EU, it was only a matter of time before wolves returned to Luxembourg. In 2011, a wolf was found in Flanders, Belgium. Its radio collar showed that it had come from Germany, where there are thought to be some 150 wolves. France has a population of around 180, which are originally thought to have crossed into the country from Italy through the Alps in the 1990s.

Wolves are protected throughout Europe. They are shy creatures who avoid direct contact with humans. The public is urged to report any wolf sightings by emailing [email protected]