Questions over why wolf strayed into urban area
Wolves almost vanished from Germany for about 150 years after they were hunted to the brink of extinction.
To date, there have been 21 confirmed sightings of wolves in Hamburg, with a wolf recently found dead on a motorway after being hit by a car, according to German broadcaster DW.
Monday’s attack is likely to raise questions about why the wolf strayed so far into an urban area, and whether the rewilding programme needs better checks and balances.
It could also raise concerns among German farmers, who have long criticised the rewilding efforts because of the risk to their livestock.
Wolf attacks on humans are exceedingly rare, as the animals generally avoid human contact wherever possible.
The risk of an attack increases significantly if the wolf is suffering from rabies or is provoked by humans.
In some cases, such as when wolves are fed or they grow accustomed to scavenging in urban areas, they may lose their inhibitions around humans.
Last week, the Bundesrat, the German upper house of parliament, voted to allow the hunting of wolves in certain cases to bring down the population.
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