Döberitz Heath
Wolf pack in front of Berlin larger than expected
Wolf cubs in the Döberitzer Heide (archive picture). Photo: Ingolf König-Jablonski/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Wolves on the outskirts of the metropolis: It became known last autumn that a pack has settled within the Berlin ring road. What has become of the animals?
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. However, there is no absolute certainty about the number, 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.
Run over on the street
According to Künkler, the wolf pack has been decimated by traffic accidents in recent months. Two young wolves were run over on the streets. “We assume the same fate for a third animal, but in this case it has not yet been proven.”
Where the wolf pack originally came from is still unclear. Incidents such as encounters between humans and the wolves of the Döberitzer Heide or conflicts have not yet become known, said Künkler.
The Döberitzer Heide is a former military training area, not far from the Berlin city limits 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 strictly protected species at European level.