An operation to locate and capture the wolf wandering through settlements in Neos Marmaras, Halkidiki, spreading fear among residents and tourists—after attacking a 5-year-old child on a local beach last Friday (12/9)—is being prepared by the Municipality of Sithonia in cooperation with the relevant authorities.

As Sithonia’s deputy mayor, Thanasis Mallinis, told protothema.gr, the wolf was spotted last night (15/9) in the area between Neos Marmaras and the Porto Carras hotel. In the video obtained by protothema.gr, the wolf is seen walking along the road while being filmed by people inside a passing car.

Residents and tourists have been unsettled by the wolf’s presence and movements. The Municipality, Mallinis said, advises them to remain calm and to avoid walking their dogs unless kept on a leash.

Wolf among sunbeds in Halkidiki
The wolf’s appearances have been recorded both inside the village and on the beach, where it was seen roaming among the sunbeds of local beach bars. Against this backdrop, the Municipality of Sithonia has called on Callisto, the Hellenic Organization for the Environment and Climate Change (OFYPEKA), the Forestry Service, and the Police to meet today at 6 p.m. in the same area—between Neos Marmaras and Porto Carras—where the wolf was spotted last night, to track it down and trap it.

“The Municipality has called in Callisto, OFYPEKA, the Forestry Service, and the Police, and at 6 this evening we will all meet at the site where the wolf was seen yesterday to see what exactly we can do to catch it,” Mallinis said. He added that, according to Callisto, the wolf should be trapped and euthanized since it attacked a human.

Wolf in Halkidiki
The attack on the 5-year-old child on a Neos Marmaras beach has caused widespread concern. As Mallinis noted, “It is the first time in Greece that a wolf attack on a human has been recorded. Until now, we only had wolf attacks on animals.”

“It is unusual for a wolf to wander in a populated area, and this is the only time in Greece we’ve had a wolf attack on a human—such an incident has never been recorded before. There have been wolf attacks on animals in Greece, but never on a human,” he emphasized.

According to Callisto’s communications officer, Iasonas Bantios, the wolf is young and has been searching for food inside settlements. He stressed that it “shows a problematic familiarity” with humans and human environments that does not align with typical wolf behavior.