A wolf attacked and bit a little girl on a beach in Neos Marmaras village in Halkidiki peninsula, northern Greece.Locals and authorities are on high alert as the animal has been spotted roaming around beaches in the broader area since then.
The incident is considered as “unprecedented” for Greece because a wolf attack on a human has never recorded in the past, so far; just attacks on animals.
The 5-year-old girl from Serbia was playing on the beach early morning on Friday, September 12. The wolf reportedly appeared out of the blue, attacked the little girl biting her on the back and scratching her stomach and leg.
At the time of the attack, the mother was nearby and with the help of a man who threw stones at the animal, they managed to repel the wolf and save the child.
The little girl was first taken to a local health center and then transferred to the hospital as a precaution. She has since been discharged and, according to reports, is in good health.
After the girl’s discharge, the family who was on vacation in the area, left for Serbia.
Locals, authorities on high alert
Authorities and environmental organizations have installed cameras around the Neos Marmaras area to help locate the wolf and monitor its movements and behavior. The presence of wolves and jackals there is not rare due to the mountain in the area.
According to Star TV, the wolf was first spotted in the area on September 1, when he tried to attack a dog on a walk by his owner.
The cameras captured the wild animal roaming through the beaches at night or during the day.
The roaming animal appears to be quite careless and accustomed to human presence.
The village of Neos Marmaras on the second leg of Halkidiki peninsula in northern Greece has been alerted with teams of “Kallisto” Environmental Organization for Wildlife and Nature, OFYPEKA (Organization for the Natural Environment and Climate Change), the Forestry Office and the Police units to have been deployed there.
However, nothing can be done against the wolf before the Environment Ministry allows the placement of traps. A relevant has been sent for this purpose and it is expected that the wolf will be caught in order to be euthanized, local halkidikipolitiki.gr reported.
Through special collaborators, “Kallisto” has been in the village in recent days and is trying to trace its exact path through cameras and drones.
On Tuesday evening, September 16, there was a coordinated effort to locate the wolf on the village beach, where the wild animal was last seen.
A day earlier, the wolf was spotted in an area between Neos Marmaras and the hotel Porto Karras on Monday night, so deputy mayor of Sithonia, Thanasis Mallinis, to news website protothema.gr.
The video below shows the animal walking next to the road and among sunbeds.
According to information, the animal does not follow a specific route, since its footsteps are found scattered in various areas of the village. From the beginning of the residential area to the end of it.
The existence of wolves and jackals in the area has been confirmed by the spokesman of Environmental Organization for Wildlife and Nature “Kallisto” Iason Bandios.
“There is a presence of wolves and jackals in the area. We are aware of the incident and, in collaboration with the Polygyros Forestry Office, cameras have already been installed at the site in order to record the animal’s behavior,” Bandios told state-run news agency amna.
Bandios highlighted the necessity of informing residents, through the “Kallisto” website, about how they can protect themselves, but also how to ensure that wild animals remain outside residential areas.
