Eight-year-old girl seriously injured in wolf attack at German wildlife park

An eight-year-old girl has been seriously injured in a wolf attack at a wildlife park in Germany. The incident happened at the Johannismühle park in Brandenburg, south of Berlin.

Police said that at the time of the attack the girl was inside an enclosure with a staff member and two other children.

Police said in a statement that 'the precise circumstances of the incident are the subject of an ongoing police investigation'.

After Wednesday's incident, the girl was taken to hospital by helicopter. No one else was injured in the incident.

According to a report by German newspaper Bild, the girl was injured by at least one animal and suffered head injuries.

Bild reported that the incident happened before the park opened at 10:00 local time, and that the girl could have been taking part in a special visit.

The park, in the town of Baruth/Mark, has been closed temporarily and, according to its website, is set to reopen on 2 November. The website gave no further details on the matter.

Alongside grey and Arctic wolves, the park also keeps other animals including the brown bear and the lynx. The park offers small group tours where visitors can spend time with some animals; its website mentions feeding wolves or petting a llama.

The incident comes after other animal attacks at zoos and wildlife parks in Europe. A keeper at a Dutch zoo died this week after being mauled by a leopard, and a man was killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park earlier this month.