Zoom Image
Wolf (symbolic image)
Photo: Christian Charisius / picture alliance/dpa
In the Eschede Film Zoo near Celle in Lower Saxony, a wolf bit an eight-year-old in the chest. The boy was taken to a hospital by ambulance on Wednesday and discharged after outpatient treatment, police said.
According to the previous investigations, the family from the vicinity of Husum (Schleswig-Holstein) had booked an animal encounter, in which the wolf first sniffed the hand of the eight-year-old. The zoo advertises on its website with so-called private animal audiences. Accordingly, an encounter with a European wolf costs 150 euros. However, it is unclear why the boy was allowed to take part – according to the zoo's homepage, this is actually only possible from the age of 16. According to a police spokesman, the investigation into the case is ongoing.
Regular meetings between animals and humans
After a "brief acquaintance with a wolf", the incident occurred, according to the police. It is not clear why he snapped.
The film zoo regularly offers such encounters with animals, according to the homepage also with a royal python, meerkat or raccoon. For the coati, as for the wolf, a minimum age of 16 years is provided. The park describes itself as a "contact zoo". Animals are accustomed to humans from an early age.
bbr/dpa