Revival of wolf population stirs old German fears

German police reached the accident to find what news stories would describe as a scene from a horror show: Seven horses, huddled on a small, dark highway, had been ripped to pieces by two speeding cars. The drivers had been badly injured. Investigators found pieces of car wreckage and horseflesh scattered around the site.

But the reason the December car wreck remained national news for weeks had only a little bit to do with the carnage. Instead, what has made the accident the talk of Germany is its suspected cause: wolves, who reportedly spooked the horses into the paths of the oncoming cars.

It is difficult to capture the fear and excitement that wolves generate in Germany. The predator has played a role in many a German fairy tale, and for about 150 years it was considered extinct in Germany, hunted down and disposed of.

Now, however, wolves have made a comeback, growing over the last 20 years to a stable population of 35 packs, about 150 wolves in all. That has set off a furore over whether Germany is big enough for both people and wolves. They have made regular headlines, and been the subject of numerous news programmes.

Critics maintain that Germany is too densely populated for a large, wild carnivore to be allowed to roam freely. Fans and scientists maintain they are signs of an ecosystem in need of a predator.

The December accident shows how far apart the two camps are. The Hunters Association of Saxony says wolves caused the horses to flee their pen and head onto the road. "With great concern we are following the uncontrolled spread of the wolf," the organisation wrote.

Others have strong doubts that wolves were in any way involved. They note that no evidence of a wolf presence was found at the scene.