Utrecht provincial authorities have asked the public to avoid the Den Treek estate near Leusden following an incident in which a child was bitten by what may have been a wolf.

Contrary to what police had said earlier, the girl was nipped during the brief encounter while out on an after-school outing, her parents said in a statement.

“Experts have confirmed that this was a wolf,” said the statement, placed on the website of the after-school club the girl was with. A school assistant standing next to the girl said the wolf nipped the child in her side. The wolf let go immediately and she had only a minor injury, her parents confirmed. The wolf came from behind and the child did not see the animal, the school said.

The locals authorities are advising the public to steer clear of the area for the time being. “A wolf pair in the area has cubs and will behave aggressively towards dogs and people who come too close,” they said.

Den Treek estate manager Wilbert Nijlant said the child probably did encounter a wolf. “The behaviour and the location coincide with the wolf that bit a dog last week,” he told the broadcaster.

In that incident a dog on a leash was attacked and taken by what is thought to have been wolf. The dog has not been found so far.

There are currently nine known wolf packs in the Netherlands, but according to research by Wageningen University, that could grow to between 23 and 56, depending on how fast they procreate.

Seven of the packs are in the Veluwe region, two in Drenthe and two on the border between Drenthe and Friesland. There have also been confirmed sightings in the Utrechtse Heuvelrug area, where the dog was attacked.