Weißwasser (dpa/sn) – Wolves are said to have torn a Collin bitch in Weißwasser and eaten parts of the carcass. Experts from the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology assumed that wolves were the attackers on Monday. Accordingly, the bitch ran after a deer on a walk with her owner last Friday and disappeared into the forest. After she did not return and did not react to whistles and calls, the dog owner went looking for it, it was said. Shortly thereafter he saw three wolves running away from the forest and found the remains of his dog there. “She had multiple bite marks and had been partially eaten.”

According to the experts, attacks by wolves on dogs are not very common. “Conflicts can mainly arise when dogs are alone in the terrain and encounter wolves there. Under certain circumstances, the wolves then regard them as invaders in their territory. This can lead to fights that can end fatally,” said the Wolf department in the state office. This is especially true during the wolves’ mating season in February and March. The best protection for dogs is proximity to people. Dogs should generally remain on a leash in wolf areas.