Stay calm and make noise if you feel unsafe around a wolf

People who encounter a wolf in Denmark should remain calm and let it move away, DR reports. If the animal comes within 30 metres and does not appear shy, people should stand still, keep watching it and document the encounter with a photo or video if possible.

“A typical wolf will not want you to come close and is not interested in you,” says Peter Sunde, a wolf expert and professor at Aarhus University’s Department of Ecoscience. He said this is the basic assumption unless the wolf is showing abnormal behaviour.

Recent close encounters have involved children playing at private kindergartens near Nørre Nebel, a runner at Bunken Klitplantage in northern Jutland and restaurant guests at Den Gyldne Pande, also in Nørre Nebel.

Do not follow the wolf

People should not follow a wolf, as this may disturb and stress it. Instead, they should give the animal space to withdraw on its own.

If the wolf does not leave and a person feels unsafe, they should shout, clap or wave their arms. This signals that they are human, which is frightening to the wolf.

People should not turn their backs on a wolf that is approaching. They should maintain eye contact and show dominance, as they would with an approaching aggressive dog. If the wolf comes closer, they should shout and clap.

If you are in a car

Anyone who encounters a wolf while in a car should remain inside until it has left. Wolves do not associate cars with people and may therefore approach vehicles.

If a person and a wolf surprise each other at close range, the person should slowly back away while maintaining eye contact.

A wolf that feels threatened may growl and show its teeth. This does not necessarily mean it intends to attack, but may indicate that it is afraid. The wolf will normally move away as soon as it has the opportunity.

If the wolf is trapped

If a wolf cannot escape, for example because it is inside an enclosure or building, people should leave it alone and contact the authorities as soon as possible. No one should approach a wolf that has no way out, as it may naturally defend itself and create a dangerous situation.

If a wolf attacks

There have been no wolf attacks on people in Denmark. If one were to occur, the advice is to resist as forcefully as possible by hitting and kicking the wolf and using any available object as a weapon.

If a wolf attacks another person or a dog, people should hit and kick the animal as hard as they can towards its hindquarters. They should not place themselves between the wolf and the victim.

The advice was issued by Styrelsen for Grøn Arealomlægning og Vandmiljø, a Danish agency, with contributions from Peter Sunde. The agency also provides guidance on protecting dogs during encounters with wolves and avoiding attracting wolves near homes. Wolf sightings can be reported to the national wolf monitoring programme through ulveatlas.dk.