An eight-year-old girl suffered serious head injuries in a wolf attack at the Johannismühle wildlife park in Baruth/Mark, south of Berlin, on Wednesday, October 28. Police confirmed the child was inside an enclosure with a staff member and two other children when the incident occurred before the park opened to visitors.
Girl Airlifted After Wolf Attack Inside Park Enclosure
The young victim was taken to hospital by helicopter following the morning attack at the privately operated wildlife facility. Police and emergency services responded swiftly after receiving an alert at 9:30 am local time on Wednesday, October 28. Authorities later confirmed through the French news agency AFP that the animal involved was a wolf.
The facility is situated roughly 45 kilometers south of Berlin. It houses gray and Arctic wolves alongside brown bears, lynx, deer, and other species. Investigators are examining why the children and the employee were inside the enclosure at that time. They are also checking whether any negligence played a role.
Park Closes Temporarily Pending District Safety Clearance
The Johannismühle park has been closed temporarily. A notice posted on a wooden door at the entrance informed arriving visitors that the site was closed for technical reasons
. Officials have slated the park to reopen on November 2, though the district administration emphasized that any reopening depends entirely on formal clearance from the competent authorities.
Local government bodies are taking a close look at the facility’s operational safety protocols.
Whenever a child is injured in this way, it deeply concerns us.
Björn Christian Paterok, Beigeordnete of the Teltow-Fläming district
Veterinary Office Plans Inspections of Predator Enclosures
The veterinary office in Teltow-Fläming announced plans to conduct animal welfare and safety inspections at the wildlife park. The facility’s operating permit mandates daily checks of predator enclosures for potential structural weaknesses. District officials noted that no professional assessment regarding the health or specific behavior of the wolf or wolves involved is available yet.
An expert assessment of the health condition and behavior of the wolf, or of the wolves potentially involved in the incident, is not yet available.
District administration
District records indicate that a routine inspection on July 23, 2025, found no safety-relevant defects on the park’s fences or enclosures, and earlier noted deficiencies had reportedly been corrected. Management at Johannismühle, which has operated for 30 years and undergone several changes in leadership, issued a formal statement emphasizing their cooperation with investigators.
Wir kooperieren in vollem Umfang mit allen Behörden.
Park management
Pastoral Care Teams Support Witnesses and Responders
Emergency pastoral care teams (Notfallseelsorge
) were deployed to assist four individuals at the scene, including three children. The severe nature of the event also heavily impacted the emergency personnel involved in the response.
The crew of the initial ambulance deployed to the scene did not continue their shift that day. Authorities scheduled a formal debriefing session to help responders process the psychological strain. Chaplains were also brought in to support park staff shaken by the attack, as police continue their probe into the enclosure incident.
