An eight-year-old boy was seriously injured after being attacked by a wolf inside a German zoo enclosure. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning, before the regular opening of the Johannismühle wildlife park south of Berlin, during a childcare day for children, the zoo said in a press release. 5:16 Wild wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone The wolves were receiving water at the time of the incident, he said, adding that staff’s quick response prevented two other children from being attacked. Emergency services quickly arrived at the scene and provided care to the injured child. Story continues below advertisement The boy was transported to a hospital in a rescue helicopter. Four people, including three children, are being treated by the emergency chaplaincy, the statement added. Get daily national news Get daily Canadian news delivered to your inbox so you never miss the day’s top stories. The zoo said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident, which potentially involved “several wolves.” “When a child is hurt in this way, it affects us deeply,” the statement continued. “The incident must be extremely distressing, especially for the family and those who witnessed it. Our thoughts are with them.” A debriefing session with relevant authorities and security organizations, including the post-incident support team, has been planned, the zoo said without providing a date. The wildlife park was closed after the incident and will remain closed until further notice. “In addition to supporting those directly affected, the focus is now on a factual investigation into the incident,” the zoo said. The Lower Nature Conservation Authority and the Veterinary and Food Inspection Office will receive a report from the police, which will be used to determine the course of action. More on Trends More Videos Story continues below advertisement The Food and Veterinary Inspection Office will soon visit the wildlife park to conduct an on-site inspection to ensure compliance with animal welfare standards, the zoo confirmed. The health and behavior of the wolf or wolves involved in the incident will also be evaluated. The park is legally allowed to exhibit animals in a zoo, including polar wolves and wolves. During its last inspection in July 2025, no safety-related defects were found in the fences or enclosures that are checked each morning, nor were any animal welfare violations identified, the zoo said. A planned inspection will reevaluate those findings, the news release added. This is not the first wolf attack to occur in Germany this year. In March, a wolf bit a woman in a shopping area in Hamburg, authorities said, in what is believed to be the first such attack since wolves returned to the country in 1998. However, wolf attacks on livestock in Europe have been a growing concern for farmers for years. Last year, the European Parliament voted to change the status of wolves from “strictly protected” to “protected.” Since 2002, two fatal wolf attacks have been recorded in North America, one in Saskatchewan in 2005 and another in Alaska in 2010, according to the International Wolf Center. Story continues below ad, with files from Associated Press © 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.