The key facts
- An eight-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital after a wolf attack at the Johannismühle park in Brandenburg
- The park has been temporarily closed and, according to its website, is due to reopen on 2 November
- The police are investigating the circumstances of the incident
Attack in the wolf enclosure
An eight-year-old girl was seriously injured in a wolf attack at the Johannismühle wildlife park in Brandenburg, south of Berlin. According to the police, quoted by BBC News, at the time of the incident she was in the enclosure together with a park employee and two other children. The girl was taken to hospital by helicopter; no one else was hurt. The police said that 'the exact circumstances of the incident are the subject of an ongoing police investigation'.
What is known about the park and the circumstances
The park in the town of Baruth/Mark keeps grey and Arctic wolves, as well as brown bears, lynxes and other animals. After the incident it was temporarily closed and, according to its website, is due to reopen on 2 November; no further details are given on the site. The German newspaper Bild, cited by the BBC, reports that the girl was injured by at least one animal and suffered head injuries, that the incident occurred before the park opened at 10:00 local time, and that the girl may have been taking part in a special visit. Johannismühle offers small group tours that allow guests to spend time with the animals — the website mentions feeding the wolves or petting a llama.
A series of incidents at European zoos
The incident occurred against the backdrop of a number of other animal attacks at zoos and wildlife parks in Europe. This week, a keeper at a Dutch zoo died after a leopard attack, and earlier this month at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England a person was killed in a tiger attack.
Image source, Getty Images The park keeps Arctic wolves, like those pictured, and grey wolves (file image)
