Eight-Year-Old Girl Airlifted to Hospital After Wolf Attack at Berlin Zoo
Johannismühle Wildlife Park remains closed while police investigate the incident that occurred during a special children's event.
By Fatou Mitchell ·
An eight-year-old girl was hospitalized on Wednesday after suffering serious injuries during an attack by at least one wolf at Johannismühle Wildlife Park, located south of Berlin. Police confirmed the incident occurred on Wednesday morning and stated that the child was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. The two other children present in the Arctic wolf enclosure appeared unharmed.
The attack happened while the facility was hosting a special event for children, according to Teltow-Fläming district officials. A staff member was also present in the enclosure. AP reported that the zookeeper intervened to stop the wolf from attacking the two other girls. The injured girl was with the other children and the staff member when the animal lunged.
This incident follows a series of deadly animal attacks at captive facilities in recent months. A zookeeper in the Netherlands died on Tuesday after a leopard attacked her three days earlier at her safari park. Earlier this month, a man in the UK was killed by a tiger after entering the animal's enclosure at a wildlife park. In September, a tiger handler connected to Joe Exotic was killed by a big cat at an Oklahoma preserve.
A separate incident earlier this year involved a wolf biting a woman in a shopping area in Hamburg. Authorities described that event as the first known wolf attack in Germany since the species returned to the country in 1998. The police in Berlin are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the Wednesday morning attack at Johannismühle.
The zoo remains closed to the public until at least November 2, according to its website. The facility has not announced a specific reopening date beyond that period. The investigation is ongoing as officials review the safety protocols in place during the children's event.
