Incident in the Mühlviertel

Jogger raised the alarm: “Wolf jumped on me”

A wolfdog or a wolf - impossible for laypeople to tell the difference. The animal in the symbolic picture is a wolfhound.

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de)

In the still young year, there has already been the second official deterrence of a wolf in the Mühlviertel in Upper Austria. The dog's typical behavior when encountering a jogger irritates the experts, but vigilance is called for without spreading unnecessary panic. A so-called high-risk wolf is currently approved for shooting.

"It was definitely a wolf" - a 40-year-old jogger who had an unpleasant encounter in Windhaag near Freistadt is adamant: "It wasn't a dog!" And so the encounter near a settlement is officially considered a wolf deterrence. The animal ran into the hobby sportsman last Friday and, as the Mühlviertel native says, jumped up on him. The jogger dodged, stood up tall and shouted at the wolf or wolfhound until it fled. He then quickly raised the alarm with the authorities.

Have the case investigated in detail
"According to experts, the animal's behavior is more likely to be that of a dog. Because a wolf coming towards you lowers its head," says Gottfried Diwold, Upper Austrian State Forestry Director, who had the case investigated in detail before it was classified as a wolf deterrent. People in the area were asked if anyone had a Czech wolfhound - negative.

"Ask for information"
"We are taking the reported incident very seriously. The animal's behavior should not be taken lightly. We ask the population, especially hunters, to be vigilant and to report important information to the province of Upper Austria," says Regional Agriculture Councillor Michaela Langer-Weninger, who emphasizes that no fear or unrest should be stirred up: "If the situation requires it, action will be taken immediately."

This means allowing the wolf or wolfdog to be shot if it behaves conspicuously near a settlement again within four weeks and has to be chased away.

Three wolf packs in the area
In Schönau and Unterweißenbach, 30 kilometers to the south, an Isegrim has currently been classified as a high-risk wolf because it had to be chased away twice in a row. Permission to remove the predator is valid until January 29. It is possible, but unlikely, that it is the same animal that is now causing a stir in Windhaag, as there are three wolf packs living in the area.