Activists protest at Naturalis as wolf Bram is stuffed
Visitors to the Leiden museum watched on Sunday as the wolf shot last December was prepared for display. Animal rights activists demanded that the museum drop the plan, and one protester got inside and knelt before the animal.
Visitors to Naturalis, the natural history museum in Leiden, could watch on Sunday as wolf Bram (officially GW3237m) was stuffed. Activists from Animal Rebellion protested at the museum and demanded that it not display the animal. One of them interrupted a lecture. At the entrance they held up signs with slogans including "Probleemmens" (problem human).
Bram was shot dead on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug on 1 December last year. The province of Utrecht gave permission on expert advice, saying he was a danger to public safety. He had been involved in several incidents with people, including biting a woman who was out walking in spring and a child in the summer of 2025.
Naturalis turned Sunday into a wolf theme day. Children could make their own wolf mask and attend lectures. The preparation, which took most of the day, was done in the museum's LiveScience hall, where experts explained how wolves behave as pack animals and took questions.
Animal Rebellion marched from Leiden station to the museum. In a statement it said: "Naturalis turns the killing of Bram into a cosy family day out. They call it education. But here children learn that animals exist to be used, even after death."
Marcel Beukeboom, director of Naturalis, said showing the stuffed animal helps start conversations about the return of the wolf to the Netherlands. "We spoke to the campaigners beforehand, and we want the same thing," he said. "We want to protect nature and get people to love nature. We only differ on how we do that."
Police stopped the marchers at the museum entrance, but two activists got in as ordinary visitors. Before the preparation began, one of them knelt in front of the wolf and said repeatedly: "Take me." He added: "Let me take Bram's place, so that Bram can be left in peace." A second activist filmed him. Museum staff let him finish. He then stood up and thanked the audience and Naturalis for letting him tell his story. The stuffed wolf will be on show at Naturalis for now. The Natuurhistorisch Museum in Rotterdam has also shown interest in displaying it.
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Naturalis
Naturalis is the national museum of natural history in Leiden, officially called Naturalis Biodiversity Center. It holds one of the largest natural history collections in the Netherlands and also functions as a research institute on biodiversity. Its exhibitions and collections include preserved and stuffed animal specimens, and it is a major public institution for science and natural history education.
Animal Rebellion
Animal Rebellion is an international animal rights activist group that uses nonviolent civil disobedience, such as public protests and demonstrations, to draw attention to the treatment of animals. In the Netherlands, its activists stage actions at places they consider linked to animal use, such as museums and farms. Its campaigns often lead to public debate about animal welfare and the display or use of animals.