Wolf pack in front of Berlin larger than expected
The pack of wolves that settled in the Döberitzer Heide west of Berlin last year is apparently larger than initially assumed. “We are currently assuming a total of eight wolves on the site,” said Nora Künkler, spokeswoman for the Heinz Sielmannn Foundation, when asked by dpa. There is no absolute certainty about the number, however, since the assumption is based on sightings via wildlife cameras. Initially, at the beginning of October 2021, there was talk of two parents and four puppies on the site.
According to Künkler, the wolf pack has already been decimated by traffic accidents in recent months. Unfortunately, two young wolves were run over on surrounding roads. “We assume the same fate for a third animal, but in this case it has not yet been proven,” said the spokeswoman. Analyzes were still running at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin.
The Döberitzer Heide is a former military training area, not far from the Berlin city limits near the Spandau district and around 30 kilometers from Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte. The Heinz Sielmann Foundation acquired the site almost 20 years ago and is pursuing the goal of preserving retreats for flora and fauna. According to the foundation, almost 1000 protected animal species live there. There are bison and Przewalski’s horses, among others. According to the Federal Documentation and Advice Center on Wolves (DBBW), wolves are among the highly protected species at European level.