Girl, 8, seriously injured in wolf attack at German wildlife park

An eight-year-old girl was seriously injured in a wolf attack at Wildpark Johannismühle in eastern Germany on Wednesday, October 28, and flown to hospital by rescue helicopter. She was inside an animal enclosure with two other children and a park employee when the attack happened, police said.

The wildlife park is in Baruth/Mark, south of Berlin, in the state of Brandenburg. Police said emergency dispatchers alerted them on Wednesday morning after receiving a report that a child had been injured at the facility.

According to the police statement, at least one animal attacked the girl inside the enclosure. A police spokesperson subsequently confirmed to German news agency dpa that a wolf was involved, while officers continued investigating the precise circumstances of the incident.

The other two children and the employee suffered no visible injuries, police said. The statement described the girl's injuries as serious but did not specify their nature or provide a more detailed account of her condition following the helicopter transfer to hospital.

The Teltow-Fläming district administration said the incident occurred before normal opening hours during a booked children's animal-keeper programme. Its account placed the attack in the Arctic wolf enclosure while the animals were being given water, providing further details about why the group was inside the habitat.

The district credited the keeper's quick intervention with preventing harm to the other two girls. Emergency responders began treating the injured child at the scene, and four people, including three children, received support from emergency pastoral care workers, according to the administration.

The park advertises opportunities for visitors to accompany animal keepers during their work, according to reporting by dpa. The attack during one such programme puts the arrangements for supervised access to animal enclosures at the centre of the authorities' examination, although investigators have not announced conclusions about how it happened.

The park also houses brown bears, lynx, grey wolves and Arctic wolves, according to its website, as reported by RTÉ. Its website initially announced a temporary closure without explaining the circumstances; district authorities subsequently said it had not opened for regular visitors following the attack.

The district said the Arctic wolf enclosure remained secured under its normal safety arrangements. Officials are reviewing operating procedures and safety requirements, and the veterinary authority plans an on-site animal-welfare inspection alongside scrutiny by the local nature conservation authority.

Police said their investigation remained ongoing, with the exact circumstances still to be established. The park will remain closed until the responsible authority authorises it to reopen, the district said, making the outcome of the official checks the next step for the facility.