The aim of this project is to study the presence of the wolf in Wallonia in the 18th and 19th centuries, where and how it lived 200 years ago, and why and how it disappeared, in order to inform ethologists and answer the legitimate questions of people living in regions that have once again become areas of permanent wolf presence in Wallonia. To do this, he deploys a pioneering multi-disciplinary methodology, combining historical and documentary analysis with morphological and DNA analysis of naturalized wolves from the 19th century preserved in a dozen museums in Wallonia. It contextualizes and clarifies the ideas and images that have been built up over the centuries around the figure of the wolf, both negatively and positively, in order to dispassionate the debate, take a step back and contribute to avenues for reflection and solutions.

The project is led by researcher Julie Duchêne, FNRS/FRESH doctoral student, and Professor Isabelle Parmentier, director of the Pôle d'histoire et de sociologie environnementales (ILEE institute), in partnership with a dozen museums and cultural institutions in Wallonia.

Thanks to your support, each naturalized wolf will be genetically identified to determine its sex and lineage, compared and situated in the landscape of Walloon wolves in the 19th century. Its physical characteristics and history will also be studied. The results of this study will be communicated to the museums, which will be able to share them widely with the public. They will also be the subject of publications and conferences, and will contribute to the management and conservation of a protected species in Wallonia in a spirit of respectful dialogue.