Germany: Mysterious man spotted by hikers outside the forest – ‘he was carrying a wooden stick like a spear’

In the past five years, there have been many reports of someone living there alone

A mysterious “werewolf” has been spotted roaming the forest in the Harz Mountains in central Germany, according to Bild newspaper.

The man, who is believed to have been living in the forest for the past five years, was caught on camera by two hikers who reportedly saw him sitting naked next to a ruined castle and carrying a wooden spear.

Faded photos show a man covered in dirt sitting on the ground playing in the sand.

Gina Weiss, 31, and her boyfriend Toby, 38, were walking in Blankenberge in Saxony-Anhalt on Tuesday afternoon.

Weiss told German newspaper Bild: “When we got to the sand caves, we saw him. He climbed into one of the caves and grabbed a long wooden stick like a spear. He did not take his eyes off us, nor did he say anything. He looked as dirty as the Stone Age man from a history textbook.

The couple said the encounter with the man, believed to be in his forties, lasted about ten minutes.

This is not the first time that the alleged “wolf” has been spotted in the Blankenburg region. Authorities said they had received numerous reports over the past half decade of a figure dressed in wolf fur in the woods.

A panicked pedestrian called the police in March asking for “help” after seeing a “running werewolf”.

“It’s clear that there are people who know how to live outside and adapt to the changing seasons,” said Alexander Beck, chief of the Blackburn Fire Service.

However, a local fire service volunteer told The Telegraph that the latest report was “nonsense” and considered the photos a “hoax”.

Dense forests cover nearly a third of Germany, so myths and legends about the people who live in them tend to surface.

The dense forest has inspired stories and fairy tales for centuries, including those created by the German Brothers Grimm.