Police are investigating a park employee after the 8-year-old was attacked during a special children’s zookeeper program.
BARUTH/MARK, Germany — An 8-year-old girl was seriously injured after at least one wolf attacked her inside an enclosure at a wildlife park south of Berlin during a special program for children, authorities said.
The attack happened Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Johannismühle Wildlife Park in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. The girl was taking part in a booked children’s zookeeper day before the park’s regular opening when she entered an enclosure with two other girls and a park employee. District officials said the wolves were being given water when the attack occurred. A zookeeper intervened, preventing the other children from being attacked.
Emergency crews treated the injured girl at the park before she was flown by rescue helicopter to a hospital. Authorities have described her injuries as serious but have not publicly released further information about her condition. The two other girls were not physically injured. District officials said four people, including three children, were receiving emergency emotional support after the incident.
Police are now investigating the park employee who was with the children on suspicion of negligent bodily harm, according to the West Police Directorate. Investigators said the girl was with the employee and two other children when at least one wolf attacked her. Police have not publicly described the precise sequence of events, saying the circumstances remain part of the investigation.
The Teltow-Fläming district said the attack occurred in the park’s Arctic wolf area during the watering of the animals. Authorities said the enclosure remained secured under the park’s normal safety measures after the attack. Officials are reviewing the facility’s safety requirements and operating procedures to determine how the children came to be in the enclosure and whether applicable safeguards were followed.
The district’s lower nature conservation authority and its veterinary and food inspection office are also reviewing the incident. The veterinary office plans an on-site animal-welfare inspection, while officials examine police findings and determine whether additional measures are required. Authorities have not announced any conclusion about the conduct of the employee, the park or the wolves involved.
Johannismühle Wildlife Park, a privately operated facility near Baruth/Mark, is home to a variety of animals, including gray wolves and Arctic wolves. Its website advertises programs that allow visitors to accompany animal keepers during feeding rounds and special zookeeper activities for children. The attack took place before normal public visiting hours during one of those prearranged children’s programs.
The park did not open to regular visitors after the attack. Its website says it will remain closed through Nov. 2, but district authorities have said any reopening requires approval from the responsible agency. That means the publicly listed date does not by itself guarantee that visitors will be admitted once the closure period ends.
Authorities have not said whether one wolf or several were directly involved in injuring the girl, and no official assessment of the animals’ behavior has been released. Police have interviewed witnesses, while district agencies continue reviewing the enclosure, safety rules and procedures surrounding the children’s program. The investigation into suspected negligence remains ongoing.