A woman has been bitten by a wolf in a major shopping street in Hamburg, according to German authorities. The highly unusual attack took place in the bustling Grosse Bergstrasse in Hamburg Altona, near an inner-city Ikea store on Monday evening. The woman reportedly tried to lead the disoriented animal away from the shopping street when it bit her face before fleeing.
The woman was transported to a hospital but has since been discharged, with reports suggesting this is the first documented case of a wolf attacking a human since the species began to return to Germany decades ago after a long absence. A spokeswoman for the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation confirmed, 'There has not been a case like this since the reintroduction began in 1998.'
Later that night, the wolf was spotted in Binnenalster lake, and police managed to rescue it after a prolonged struggle. Matthias Hilge from Hamburg's Ministry for the Environment confirmed the animal was given veterinary care and its future will be decided soon. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, wolves have returned to various parts of Germany after being absent for 150 years, gathering in forests across many states. Recently, the Bundesrat approved measures to allow hunting of wolves to manage their populations and protect livestock, with the hunting season ranging from July 1 to October 31. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider remarked that it’s crucial to find ways to coexist peacefully with wolves.
The woman was transported to a hospital but has since been discharged, with reports suggesting this is the first documented case of a wolf attacking a human since the species began to return to Germany decades ago after a long absence. A spokeswoman for the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation confirmed, 'There has not been a case like this since the reintroduction began in 1998.'
Later that night, the wolf was spotted in Binnenalster lake, and police managed to rescue it after a prolonged struggle. Matthias Hilge from Hamburg's Ministry for the Environment confirmed the animal was given veterinary care and its future will be decided soon. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, wolves have returned to various parts of Germany after being absent for 150 years, gathering in forests across many states. Recently, the Bundesrat approved measures to allow hunting of wolves to manage their populations and protect livestock, with the hunting season ranging from July 1 to October 31. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider remarked that it’s crucial to find ways to coexist peacefully with wolves.
