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

An eight-year-old girl has been seriously injured by at least one wolf at the Johannismühle wildlife park in the German state of Brandenburg, south of Berlin. Police said the attack took place on Wednesday. It is the latest in a series of incidents in which animals have hurt or killed people at zoos and wildlife parks in Europe.

What is known

According to police, the girl was inside an enclosure with a member of staff and two other children. No one else was hurt. She was flown to hospital by helicopter.

In a statement, police said the precise circumstances were the subject of an ongoing investigation. The German newspaper Bild reported that the girl was hurt by at least one animal and suffered head injuries. It added that the incident happened before the park opened at 10:00 local time and that she may have been taking part in a special visit.

The park

The park is in the town of Baruth/Mark. Its website says it is temporarily closed and due to reopen on 2 November, without giving further details. It keeps grey and arctic wolves as well as other animals, including brown bears and lynx. It also offers small-group tours where visitors can spend time with some of the animals; its site mentions feeding wolves or petting a llama.

Other incidents

Earlier this week, a keeper at a Dutch zoo died after being mauled by a leopard. At Yorkshire Wildlife Park in the UK, a man was killed by a tiger earlier this month.