A pensioner was bitten in the face by a wolf in a major shopping street in Hamburg on Monday, German authorities have confirmed.
The savage attack marks the first recorded incident since the apex predators returned to the country almost three decades ago, according to environmental officials.
According to German media reports, the 65-year-old had been trying to usher the wolf away from the area - next to an inner-city Ikea store.
The disorientated canine then proceeded to sink its teeth into her face before darting away from the scene.
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The pensioner was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was later discharged.
According to German police, the wolf had been prowling the streets of Hamburg for several days in the lead up to the attack.
Environmental authorities have speculated the creature may have come into the northern part of the city after it became separated from its pack and lost its bearings.
The beast was later spotted in Hamburg's Binnenalster lake in the hours after the bite.
The savage attack marks the first recorded incident since the apex predators returned to the country
|GETTY
Police spent around an hour trying to capture it, with the creature putting up a fight in a bid to evade officers.
However, police - armed with shields - finally managed to pull it out of the lake with a rope.
It was later taken to a wildlife park, where it has been receiving veterinary care, according to Hamburg's Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture, (Bukea) spokesman, Matthias Hilge.
He told the BBC: "Bukea will decide on the animal's future arrangements in the near future, following close consultation with experts."
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The 65-year-old attempted to usher the wolf away from the area close to an inner-city Ikea store
|GETTY
Wolves were almost forced into extinction in Germany for around 150 years after becoming targeted by excessive hunting.
However, following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, they began migrating back into the country from Poland after being granted legal protections.
There are now believed to be more than 200 packs across Germany, particularly in the country's northern and eastern regions.
Last week, the German Parliament approved proposals to allow so-called "problem wolves" to be hunted.
There are now believed to be more than 200 wolf packs across Germany
|GETTY
Under the new Federal Hunting law, the creatures may be shot to protect livestock from being attacked and to manage the population numbers.
Environment minister Carsten Schneider insisted that wolves "must be allowed to stay" in Germany.
He added: "It is not a question of driving the wolf away again, but of finding viable ways to live peacefully alongside it."
The proposed hunting season is set to run from July 1 to October 31.
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