A wolf pack has settled within the Berliner Ring.
The two parent animals and four puppies were seen in the Döberitzer Heide in Brandenburg west of Berlin, announced the Heinz Sielmann Foundation on Tuesday.
The area is only around 30 kilometers from Alexanderplatz in the center of Berlin.
On Tuesday, the State Environment Agency (LfU) confirmed to the German Press Agency that the animals were wolves.
Dallgow-Döberitz - According to the map of the wolf records of the LfU, other wolf packs had not yet settled within the Berliner Ring.
About two weeks ago, the pack ran in front of the lens of a photographer who was traveling for the foundation in the 4500 hectare nature reserve at the gates of Berlin and Potsdam. According to the foundation, the six animals have settled in a fenced area of around 1,800 hectares in the middle of the area - there they are largely undisturbed by humans. The fences, in which there are game flaps, are supposed to protect the bison and wild horses living there from running onto the surrounding federal highways 2 and 5 and the A 10 in the west.
The area is actually too small for a pack, said foundation spokeswoman Nora Künkler.
But the animals would have a lot of food there due to the high game population.
Deer and wild boars were not enough for the animals: In August and September cracks were reported from goats and sheep grazing there.
"The shepherds respect the protection of the wolf and try to adapt to the new situation," said Künkler.
As a first measure, fences were checked for loopholes and more electricity was added.
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dpa