Wanted for attacking two people, a new wolf has just been captured in Greece

“After a pursuit of several hours during the night of October 5 to 6, 2026, (...) the wolf which had worried the inhabitants of the localities near Parnés due to its frequent appearances, was anesthetized by scientists from Life Wild Wolf,” said a press release from the environmental NGO Callisto and the national environment and climate change organization (Ofypeka) on Thursday evening.

According to these two organizations, partners in the Life Wild Wolf project, the animal was initially captured in mid-August in the residential area of ​​Varibobi, 30 km north of Athens “due to reports of frequent sightings in urban areas”.

The decision to capture it was authorized by the Ministry of Environment after the animal attacked and slightly injured a runner in a forest area in the town of Kryoneri on September 24. According to genetic analyzes of blood taken from the animal, this same wolf was also responsible for an attack on another runner, recorded in the same area on February 14, 2026.

After its capture, the animal was immediately transferred to the facilities of the Arktouros International Environmental Center in the northwest of the country “where it will remain permanently with the support of the forestry office,” according to the official statement. This is the second capture of a wolf at least three months old in Greece.

Injured children

In mid-August, a wolf, wanted for having attacked and injured a four-year-old child in a region near Thessaloniki, Greece's second city (north), was also captured.

The population of wolves, a species protected under the Berne Convention, has continued to grow in Greece, reaching 2,075 individuals, living mainly in the north of the country, according to a recent study by Callisto.

In September 2025, a wolf attacked and injured a 5-year-old girl near a seaside resort in Chalkidiki (north-east), which then revived calls for a control of the number of these animals in the country.