Hikers snap latest photo of ‘naked wolf man’ in German forest

‘He stood up high on one of the caves and held a long wooden stick like a lance in his arm,’ hiker says

A mysterious naked “wolf man” holding a wooden spear has been photographed by hikers in the Harz mountains of central Germany.

The photos show the man covered in dirt and hair as he plays with sand on the floor.

The hikers, Gina Weiss, 31, and her friend Tobi, 38, were walking in the woods near Blankenburg in the state of Saxony-Anhalt on Tuesday evening when they spotted him.

“When we reached the sand caves we saw the wolf man. He stood up high on one of the caves and held a long wooden stick like a lance in his arm,” Ms Weiss told Bild newspaper.

The wolf man and the hikers locked eyes but no words passed between them in those ten minutes, the hikers said. “He wouldn’t take his eyes of us, said nothing. He looked dirty like a Stone Age man from a history book.”

Reports of a wolf man are not uncommon in Blankenburg. Authorities said they have been receiving intel about such a figure roaming the forests for the past five years.

Fire sites and branch shelters have even been found in the area, as Alexander Beck, the head of Blankenburg fire brigade, said: “Someone clearly knows how to live outside and adapt to the changing seasons.”

Sightings of a mysterious ‘wolf man’ in the Harz mountains have been reported for the last five years, authorities said (AP)

Members of the fire brigade have also reported seeing a forest dweller wearing fur but said that he ran off, according to MDR, the regional public broadcaster.

In March this year, hikers said they saw a “wolf man” running around the forest and also reported seeing a fire-bolt.

Emergency services searched the area but only found old fire sites.

A volunteer with the local fire service told The Telegraph that they had not noticed anything unusual in the forest. They described the story as “nonsense” and suggested the photos of the wolf man were “a prank”.

Nonetheless, Germany’s dense forests and shrubbery have always inspired folklore, with the ninetheenth-century Brothers Grimm among the most notable fairytale collections to be rooted in the dark woods.