The attack happened in an enclosed wolf area, while attacks by wild wolves on people in Europe are extremely rare

An eight-year-old girl was seriously injured in a wolf attack at the Johannismühle wildlife park in Brandenburg, Germany. She was flown to hospital by helicopter. Two other children and a staff member who were with her were not injured. Police are investigating how the attack happened.

It is important to distinguish an attack at a wildlife park from an encounter with a wolf in the wild. According to reports, the girl was inside an enclosed area for wolves. The circumstances are still under investigation, so it is not yet possible to determine whether safety procedures were breached or to compare this incident directly with encounters between people and wild wolves.

Attacks by wild wolves on people in Europe are extremely rare. The European Commission states that no fatal wolf attacks on people have been recorded in Europe in the 21st century. The LIFE WolfAlps EU project identifies the last known fatal wolf attack on a person in Europe as having occurred in Spain in 1974. This historical figure concerns fatal attacks, not all attacks or bites.

A scientific report published in 2021 by researchers at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research examined attacks on people between 2002 and 2020. Across Europe and North America, the researchers found evidence of 12 attacks involving a total of 14 victims, with two attacks resulting in deaths. Both fatal attacks occurred in North America. The authors concluded that the risk of attack in these regions was extremely low, although not zero.

These figures do not make the girl's injuries any less serious. They help put the incident into context: one severe attack in an area where wild animals are kept does not show that encounters with wolves in nature have become a common threat. The investigation must establish what happened and whether safety measures were followed.

Sources:
European Commission – Facts about large carnivores and risks to people
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 2021 report – Wolf attacks on people from 2002 to 2020
LIFE WolfAlps EU – How often do wolves attack people?