Bears kill wolf in Dutch zoo as visitors watch

Four bears killed a wolf in the Dierenrijk zoo in Mierlo on Monday. Several visitors to the zoo saw the incident happen. Why the bears attacked the wolf is not clear, a spokesperson for the zoo said to Eindhovens Dagblad.

A video shows the wolf being torn apart by three bears. Two other wolves tried to intervene, but were kept at a distance by a fourth bear.

"The two-year-old she-wolf came out of the water with another wolf when she was attacked by the bear", the spokesperson said. "The visitors warned the caretakers, but the she-wolf was already dead." She called it a fatal accident. Visitors and caretakers were shaken by the incident and were offered aid by the zoo.

The four wolves and four brown bears are in the same residence, so that they are challenged to get along with each other, according to the zoo. The zoo calls it an enrichment for the animals. The animals usually never have issue with each other and even play together regularly, the spokesperson said to Eindhovens Dagblad.

According to Dierenrijk, there have never been incidents before, also not in other zoos. The zoo will therefore not take any additional measures.

Below see older videos of bears and wolves getting along at Dierenrijk: