Authorities capture wolf who attacked two people in Greece

Uthe Life Wild Wolf team, a European project aimed at promoting the conservation of wolves, captured a wolf that caused “concern” in the outskirts of Athens, Greece, after attacking at least two people.

According to the France-Presse news agency (AFP), the animal had been spotted over the past few months in a semi-urban area of Parnés, a mountain range near the Greek capital. 

On Thursday night, the non-governmental environmental organization Callisto and the National Organization for the Environment and Climate Change (Ofypeka) reported that, after a persecution that lasted several hours, on the night of October 5 to 6, “the wolf that had caused concern among the inhabitants of the nearby Parnés, due to its frequent appearances, was anesthetized by Life Wild Wolf experts.”. 

According to organizations, the animal had already been captured in mid-August, in the residential area of Varibobi, about 30 kilometres north of Athens, “following reports of frequent sightings in urban areas.”.

The wolf was eventually released, but the Greek Ministry of the Environment chose to recapture the animal after an attack on a man in a forest area in Kryoneri on September 24. 

According to genetic analysis of the blood collected in the animal, the same wolf was also responsible for an attack on another man, registered in the same area on February 14, 2026.

After the capture, the animal was immediately transferred to the facilities of the International Center for the Environment Arktours, in the northwest of the country, “where it will remain permanently, with the support of forest services”.

This is at least the second capture of a wolf in Greece in less than three months. In mid-August, a wolf was captured for attacking and wounding a four - year - old child in a region near Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city in the north.