Full story
Rare Urban Wolf Attack
A wolf bit a woman in a shopping district in Hamburg, marking the first recorded wolf attack in Germany since 1998.
“This is the first time a human has been attacked by a wolf in Germany since it began to spread again”
The woman was attempting to guide the disoriented animal away when it bit her in the face.
The wolf fled and was captured from the Binnenalster lake after multiple sightings across the city.
Woman Sustains Facial Injuries
The woman sustained facial injuries but her condition was not considered serious.
Authorities have not disclosed what prompted the attack.
Experts believe the wolf was a young dispersing individual.
Wolves Return After 150 Years
Wolves were hunted to extinction in Germany by the early 20th century.
“For roughly 150 years, wolves were absent from Germany, hunted to extinction by the early 20th century”
They only reappeared around 1998, migrating west from Poland.
The EU downgraded wolves from strictly protected to protected last year.
Legal Changes Spark Debate
The German Bundesrat approved legislation to make wolf hunting easier.
Farmers have pressed for legal tools to address wolf-related damages.
Conservationists warn that premature culling could undermine recovery.
Wolves Now in Almost All EU Countries
Wolves are now present in almost all EU countries.
“Wolves are now present in almost all EU countries, and their numbers have increased from 11,000 in 2012 to more than 20,000 in 2023”
Numbers increased from 11,000 in 2012 to more than 20,000 in 2023.
Italy, Bulgaria, Romania and Spain have populations of more than 2,000 each.