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Hamburg Wolf That Was Re‑Released Is Likely Dead, Officials Say

An abrupt end to the collar signal about 150–160 kilometres from Hamburg has prompted investigators to examine whether the animal was illegally shot.

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Der Wolf, der in Hamburg-Altona Ende März in einem Einkaufszentrum aufgetaucht war, ist mutmaßlich tot. Die Sendedaten seines Ortungshalsbandes seien Ende Mai plötzlich abrupt abgerissen, hieß es.

Overview

  • A young wolf that entered Hamburg and allegedly injured a woman in late March was captured in the Binnenalster, taken to a wildlife station, fitted with a tracking collar and released in early April to monitor its behaviour.
  • The collar transmitted normally until the end of May when its signal stopped about 150–160 kilometres from Hamburg, a loss officials say is unlikely to be a simple technical failure because the devices are considered highly reliable.
  • Authorities carried out extensive searches but have not found the animal or the transmitter and now judge the wolf probably dead while police investigate possible illegal killing, including that the animal may have been shot and the collar destroyed.
  • Conservation groups dispute official accounts of the Altona incident, citing a witness who said the wolf may have jumped and struck the woman with a paw rather than biting her, and they continue to challenge the decision to re‑release the animal.
  • The case highlights wider tensions in Germany over wolf return, balancing public safety and rewilding efforts, and could lead to legal and policy consequences if investigators confirm an unlawful killing.