Munich, Dec 20, (dpa/GNA) – A video showing two young wolves near playground equipment in a village in the southern German state of Bavaria, has caused a stir after it was shared online.
Experts say the footage from the village of Altmannstein, which is about 100 kilometres north of Munich, shows two young animals, a spokeswoman for the State Office for the Environment (LfU) said on Friday.
The Köschinger Forest in the Altmühl Valley is designated as wolf territory, which will now be “continued with a slightly modified extent.”
The local authority confirmed that the footage had been filmed on Thursday. It’s not clear who captured the video.
The footage was posted on the social media platform X by Bavarian Minister of Economic affairs, Regional Development and Energy Hubert Aiwanger.
While users in the comments section below the video expressed concern for the safety of local residents and called for the animals to be shot, Aiwanger conceded that the necessary legislation had not yet been passed by the state parliament.
Experts from the relevant authorities emphasized that the animals’ behaviour was not unusual, and the danger to humans was low.
Wolves are generally cautious and avoid humans, said the LfU spokeswoman: “In densely populated cultural landscapes such as Germany, however, it does occasionally happen that wolves run past villages or cross scattered settlements.” This usually happens at night in the dark, but sometimes also during the day, she said.
GNA