Confirmed by DNA test

Child bitten by wolf in park near Utrecht

In Utrecht in the Netherlands, a wolf bit a child and slightly injured it (symbolic image).(Bild: APA/AFP)

Wolf alert in the Netherlands: Local authorities have warned parents with young children against visiting a large nature park near Utrecht. A child was recently bitten on the side and slightly injured by a wolf during a school trip.

The statements of witnesses were confirmed by a DNA test. Finally, on Wednesday, a second small child was pushed by a large animal. A wolf is also suspected here. A rapid DNA test will now be carried out to check whether it is the same animal. In addition, a small dog on a leash may have been dragged off by a wolf.

Here you can see a post from the province of Utrecht about the incident.

"Atypical behavior"
"According to wolf experts, this is atypical behavior and worrying," said the province of Utrecht. The nature reserve is home to a pair of wolves with five pups and a single young wolf. 

After the first incident, the surrounding municipalities closed off a small part of the nature reserve to visitors. The area cannot be completely cordoned off, they say. The Utrechtse Heuvelrug Nature Park is a popular tourist destination.

Wolf to be shot down
The province now wants to apply for permission to shoot the wolf. The animals are a protected species and may not be shot following a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). In Austria, several federal states recently issued further shooting regulations for so-called problem wolves that are said to have killed livestock. However, animal welfare organizations filed complaints.