An eight-year-old child was severely injured after being attacked by a wolf inside an enclosure at a German zoo.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning before the regular opening of the Johannismühle Wildlife Park south of Berlin, during a zookeeper day for children, the zoo said in a news release.
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The wolves were being given water at the time of the incident, it said, adding that the quick response of staff prevented two other children from being attacked. Emergency services arrived quickly on scene and provided treatment to the injured child.
The child was transported to a hospital by rescue helicopter. Four people, including three children, are being cared for by the emergency chaplaincy, the statement added.
The zoo said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident that potentially involved “several wolves.”
“When a child is injured in this way, it deeply affects us,” the statement continued.
“The incident must be extremely distressing, especially for the family and those who witnessed it. Our thoughts are with them.”
“We sincerely hope the child recovers soon and wish all those affected strength to cope with what they have experienced,” it concluded.
The wildlife park will also provide psychological support for those affected by the incident. A debriefing session with the relevant authorities and security organizations, including the post-incident support team, has been planned, the zoo said without providing a date.
The wildlife park was closed after the incident and will remain shut until further notice.
“Besides supporting those directly affected, the focus is now on a factual investigation of the incident,” the zoo said.
The Lower Nature Conservation Authority and the Veterinary and Food Inspection Office will receive a report from the police, which will be used to determine a course of action.
The Veterinary and Food Inspection Office will visit the wildlife park soon to conduct an on-site inspection to ensure compliance with animal welfare regulations, the zoo confirmed.
The health and behaviour of the wolf or wolves involved in the incident will also be assessed. The park is legally permitted to exhibit animals in a zoological facility, including polar wolves and wolves.
During its last inspection in July 2025, no safety-related defects were found in the fences or enclosures, which are checked every morning, nor were any animal welfare violations identified, the zoo said. A planned inspection will re-evaluate those findings, the news release added.
This is not the first wolf attack to occur in Germany this year.
In March, a wolf bit a woman in a shopping area in Hamburg, authorities said, in what is believed to be the first such attack since wolves returned to the country in 1998.
Wolf attacks on livestock in Europe have been a growing concern to farmers for years, however. Last year, the European Parliament voted to change wolves’ status from “strictly protected” to “protected.”
Since 2002, there have been two recorded fatal wolf attacks in North America, one in Saskatchewan in 2005 and one in Alaska in 2010, according to the International Wolf Center.
— with files from the Associated Press
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