Wolf Bites Woman in Hamburg, First Attack Since 1998 Reintroduction

A wolf bit a woman in a shopping district in Hamburg, marking the first recorded wolf attack in Germany since 1998.

“- Published A woman has been bitten by a wolf in a major shopping street in Hamburg, according to German authorities”

BBC

The woman was attempting to guide the disoriented animal away when it bit her in the face.

BBC

The wolf fled and was captured from the Binnenalster lake after multiple sightings across the city.

The woman sustained facial injuries but her condition was not considered serious.

Authorities have not disclosed what prompted the attack.

blue News

Experts believe the wolf was a young dispersing individual.

Wolves were hunted to extinction in Germany by the early 20th century.

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CNews

They only reappeared around 1998, migrating west from Poland.

The EU downgraded wolves from strictly protected to protected last year.

The German Bundesrat approved legislation to make wolf hunting easier.

Farmers have pressed for legal tools to address wolf-related damages.

DW

Conservationists warn that premature culling could undermine recovery.

Wolves are now present in almost all EU countries.

“A wolf bit and injured a woman in the northern German city of Hamburg, police said late Monday”

DW

Numbers increased from 11,000 in 2012 to more than 20,000 in 2023.

Euronews

Italy, Bulgaria, Romania and Spain have populations of more than 2,000 each.