Berlin - Wolves are breeding successfully in the wild in Germany for the first time since being exterminated as dangerous vermin a century ago, nature conservation association NABU said Tuesday.

Ten years after the animals, which are protected, were first sighted, at least three families are raising young, according to NABU.

Most of the wolves roam Lusatia, an area east of Berlin that straddles the borders with neighbouring Poland and the Czech Republic.

Others have been sighted to the north of the German capital, as well as in Lower Saxony south of Hamburg and in Hesse to the south-west.

Around 20 wolves are thought to be resident in German Lusatia, a region perhaps best known for its large open-cast lignite mines.

While conservationists express the view that wolves are not a threat to humans in the relatively thinly populated region, there are concerns about sharing the habitat with sheep farmers. (dpa)