Wolf enters yard near Tallinn in Estonia
A wolf was captured on video in the yard of a private home in the settlement of Aruküla near Tallinn. The homeowner, Raigo Sokolov, said the animal calmly walked around his yard on Tuesday morning, ERR News reports.
Wolf in the yard during daylight
The Estonian Hunters' Society described the wolf's appearance directly near a residential building as unusual, as the animal was in the middle of the yard during daylight hours. The recording also captures the reaction of a dog that was inside the house at the time.
Recommendations in case of an encounter
Estonia's Environmental Board notes that wolves do not pose a threat to people and encounters with these timid animals are rare. Usually, a wolf leaves as soon as it detects a human scent, although a young or sick animal may approach.
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If a wolf is spotted from a car, people are advised to remain inside and allow the animal to leave. People are also urged not to leave food in forested, rural, or wild areas, as feeding animals may reduce their natural fear of humans.
Shooting permits
At the beginning of the week, the Environmental Board issued special permits to shoot six wolves in Viljandi and Pärnu counties. These are different areas from Aruküla. The decision was made after wolves in these localities killed seven sheep, four cows, and four dogs over one month, from mid-July to mid-August.
The board recalled that after rabies was eliminated in Estonia in the 2000s, the likelihood of a wolf attacking a person there is practically zero. The last known case occurred in 1988 and involved a rabid wolf.
