Naya, the first wolf sighted in Belgium for a century, believed to have been killed by hunters

Environmental groups are offering a €30,000 (£27,000) reward for information that helps identify who killed Naya, the first wolf sighted in Belgium for a century when she entered the country last year.

The wolf’s arrival completed the return of the predator to every mainland country in Europe, turning back decades of persecution.

Naya and her cubs were last seen in May in the Limburg forest in Flanders but she is presumed to have been killed by professional hunters.

Three organisations – Bird Protection Flanders, Animal Rights and the Nature Aid Centre – are offering €20,000 for information that leads to the uncovering of those responsible. An entrepreneur from Wilrijk, south of Antwerp, has given Bird Protection Flanders a further €10,000 in the hope that an increased cash offer will uncover fresh leads.

“What counts is that the person who did this will not get away with it”, Bird Protection Flanders said in a statement. “It is clear that people no longer accept that some have the the right to decide on their own which animals are allowed to live and which are not. Prior to the reward, the investigation was in decline. Without proof, no lawsuit. No lawsuit, no conviction.”

The Nature and Forest Agency concluded that Naya was killed by organised hunters, given the nature of the forest in which the wolf was living. “The perpetrators have invaded the inaccessible area to find and kill the she-wolf with her cubs in the nest,” a spokesman said.

Naya, originally from eastern Germany, was first sighted in Belgium in the north-east province of Limbourg in January 2018. She was fitted with a collar containing a transponder to track her movements.

The wolf was last recorded on the Nature and Forest Agency’s network of night-vision cameras in May. The batteries in her tracking collar had run down.

Naya’s male companion, who joined her in August 2018, had been previously seen bringing her food. He is now said to be behaving like a solitary wolf.