Wolf bites woman in Germany in first attack for decades

The animal entered the complex in the Altona area of Hamburg yesterday evening, according to the city's deputy mayor Katharina Fegebank.

It had been repeatedly spotted in different parts of Hamburg over several days, she added.

The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) said the attack is the first of its kind since wolves began returning to Germany almost 30 years ago.

According to Bild daily newspaper, the woman was bitten in the face.

The wolf had previously been sighted on Saturday in the west of Hamburg and at other locations on Sunday morning and afternoon, the local environment agency said.

Fegebank said that "until yesterday evening the wolf had shown typical behaviour for a wild animal and had avoided human contact".

She said it was not clear why it had entered the shopping centre, suggesting that "the confined space and proximity to people led to a situation of extreme stress" for the canine.

The wolf has since been captured by police and taken to a wildlife park.

Fegebank said that "we will find a solution for the wolf very quickly".

The animal is most likely a cub that was in the process of leaving its pack, according to experts.

Wolves were effectively wiped out in Germany by the mid‑19th century, largely due to persecution, bounties and habitat loss.

However, wolves migrating from Poland began settling again in eastern Germany after reunification, when stronger wildlife protections were introduced.

An official study last year recorded 219 packs of wolves across the country, as well as 43 wolf pairs and 14 lone wolves.

Last December, the German government backed legislation that would allow regular hunting of wolves in order to manage populations in areas with large packs.