HAMBURG, Germany — April 6, 2026 A wolf that attacked a woman in Hamburg last week was captured, fitted with a transmitter, and released back into the wild on Easter Sunday after being held at a wildlife rescue station. The wolf was first spotted in the western part of Hamburg during the last weekend of March, according to multiple corroborated reports. It then ran several kilometers through the city center before jumping into the Binnenalster lake, where police eventually captured it.
The animal had been held at a wildlife rescue station in Sachsenhagen, Lower Saxony, since Tuesday. Authorities decided to release it back into the wild after equipping it with a tracking device to monitor its movements.
The Attack and Capture
The wolf bit a woman when she approached it in an attempt to free it from a shopping passage, according to the Hamburg Environment Agency. The incident marked a rare case of a wolf entering a major urban area and interacting aggressively with a human.
After the attack, the wolf fled through Hamburg’s streets, covering a significant distance before reaching the Binnenalster lake. Police managed to capture it there, preventing further incidents. The quick response by authorities highlighted the city’s preparedness for such unusual wildlife encounters.