Unprecedented Wolf Bite Incident in Hamburg

Wed Apr 01 2026 00:28:32 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A shocking incident in Hamburg saw a woman bitten by a wolf on a busy shopping street, marking a significant moment in the region's wildlife history.

In a rare occurrence, a woman was bitten by a wolf in Hamburg while attempting to lead the animal away from a busy shopping district. Authorities confirm this incident marks the first documented wolf attack on a human since their return to Germany post-1998. The woman has been discharged from the hospital and the wolf is under veterinary care.

A woman has been bitten by a wolf in a major shopping street in Hamburg, according to German authorities.

The highly unusual attack took place in the bustling Grosse Bergstrasse in Hamburg Altona, near an inner-city Ikea store on Monday evening.

The woman appears to have tried to lead the disoriented animal away from the shopping street. The wolf then bit the woman's face, according to local reports, and subsequently ran off.

The woman was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.

It's believed to be the first time a person has been attacked by a wolf since the animals began to reestablish themselves in Germany decades ago.

There has not been a case like this since the reintroduction began in 1998, a spokeswoman for the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation told the German press agency dpa.

The wolf was later spotted late on Monday night at the Binnenalster lake in Hamburg. Police managed to pull it out of the water with a rope.

However, the animal put up a fight, and police armed with shields are reported to have spent around an hour trying to catch it.

Matthias Hilge, a spokesperson from Hamburg's Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture, Bukea, stated that there have been several sightings of the wolf in recent days in the west of the city.

He said the wolf was safe and receiving veterinary care. Bukea will decide on the animal's future arrangements in the near future, following close consultation with experts, he added.

The return of wolves to Germany began only after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, following 150 years of absence. Initially, only a few animals returned via Poland, and now wolves roam various forests across Germany.

Last week, Germany's Upper House, the Bundesrat, approved measures allowing wolves to be hunted. Under the Federal Hunting law, it will now be possible to hunt wolves to manage their populations and protect livestock.

Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said wolves must be allowed to stay. He emphasized the need for coexistence between humans and the wolf population.

It is not a question of driving the wolf away again, but of finding viable ways to live peacefully alongside it, he stated.

The wolf hunting season is scheduled to run from July 1 to October 31.