Neukgu, the two-year-old wolf who broke loose from a South Korean zoo, has finally been captured following a nine-day long search. On Friday at 00:44 local time (16:44 GMT), authorities confirmed his capture near an expressway in Daejeon. After a medical examination, his health indicators, such as pulse and body temperature, were reported to be normal.
Hundreds of rescue officials had been involved in the search, and though they came close several times, Neukgu managed to evade capture each time. The wolf's repeated escapes made headlines and generated quite a buzz on social media, with videos of his adventures shared widely.
Following a tip, authorities' latest operation in the Anyeong-dong area proved successful when they managed to tranquilize him. The city government expressed gratitude to everyone involved in bringing Neukgu home, especially those concerned for his safety.
Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of an initiative to revive the Korean wolf species, once extinct in the wild. The successful capture also alleviated fears regarding his ability to survive outside of captivity, as well as concerns about the dangers of the capture process, which had previously led to the death of another escaped animal from the zoo. President Lee Jae Myung even prayed for Neukgu's safe return on social media, highlighting the nationwide attention his story received.
Hundreds of rescue officials had been involved in the search, and though they came close several times, Neukgu managed to evade capture each time. The wolf's repeated escapes made headlines and generated quite a buzz on social media, with videos of his adventures shared widely.
Following a tip, authorities' latest operation in the Anyeong-dong area proved successful when they managed to tranquilize him. The city government expressed gratitude to everyone involved in bringing Neukgu home, especially those concerned for his safety.
Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of an initiative to revive the Korean wolf species, once extinct in the wild. The successful capture also alleviated fears regarding his ability to survive outside of captivity, as well as concerns about the dangers of the capture process, which had previously led to the death of another escaped animal from the zoo. President Lee Jae Myung even prayed for Neukgu's safe return on social media, highlighting the nationwide attention his story received.
