A suspected killer wolf caught by police is to be given a DNA test after a man said it was his pet dog, a husky.

The white-coated animal was caught on March 23 at Nanshahe town in Tengzhou, Shandong province, and identified by a local zoo as a 5-year-old she-wolf.

Police believe it was responsible for attacks on seven people, two of whom died.

But a local man surnamed Wang claimed it was his pet dog Lady that he had reared for two years, and who was gentle in nature.

"We have invited experts from some universities in Shandong, and they will professionally determine whether it's a wolf or a dog," Zhang Changpu, a wildlife protection officer at the Zaozhuang Forestry Bureau, said on Monday.

Xing Hao, a local zookeeper, told China Central Television: "Its cry is like that of a wolf and the corners of its eyes are tilted, not straight like that of a dog. Its tail is also straight, not sticking up like a dog, and its ears are upright. All these indicators are in line with a wolf's characteristics."

Wolf or husky? The 1-meter-long captured animal, suspected of attacking seven people, is caged at a zoo in Tengzhou, Shandong province, awaiting tests. Wang Min / for China Daily