The Utrecht provincial authorities and Leusden local council have closed off part of the Den Treek estate where a little girl suffered what may have been a warning nip by a wolf earlier this week while on a school outing, Dutch media reported.

The incident followed an attack on a miniature poodle earlier this month in the same area. The animal, which was on a leash, was bitten and then dragged off by a wolf and has not been found.

It is the first time a large area has been closed off to the public because of the presence of wolves. The estate is home to a wolf pair with cubs which may have made them overprotective. The provincial authorities said this was he most likely explanation for the attack on the dog, and may have prompted the wolf to bite the girl.

The ban will be strictly monitored, the council warned, following an increase in visitors to the site after the incident.

The presence of cyclists, walkers and dogs can be experienced as threats by the wolves, the council said in a statement. “These confrontations are not only frightening for people, they also threaten the wolves. It is in the interests of both people and wolves to create a quiet environment,” the council said.

According to provincial councillor Huib van Essen, the measure is “the right decision in a complex situation”.  “It is rare that a wolf displays deviant behaviour,” he said, referring to other incidents in which a wolf came close to people. This is something they would normally avoid and may mean the animal has lost its fear of people.

The local branch of farmers party BBB said shooting “problem wolves” is the only solution and has called for the wolf’s current protected status to be lowered. They also want to bring in measures to scare the wolves away, such as the use of paintball guns.

The use of paintballs was banned by a court in Gelderland earlier this year. It was the latest step in a long-running stand-off between provincial authorities and conservationists, who argue that the real problem is with tourists using food to lure the wolves close enough to be photographed

Wolf behaviour expert Diederik van Liere said the incidents should lead to a “sort of volunteer fire service” which could be trained to chase off wolves in cases of sightings. “That will teach the wolves not to approach people and is the best solution in the long run,” he told broadcaster NOS.

People who do find themselves in a close encounter should calmly retreat and make a noise to frighten it off. “Whatever you do, don’t run, they love that,” Van Liere said.

The estate wiil remain closed to the public until August 15.