Neukgu became an almost instant celebrity after his disappearance led to a nine-day search
The South Korean internet erupted in celebration when a two-year-old wolf that escaped from a South Korean zoo was safely captured Friday after a nine-day search that kept the nation on alert and turned it into a national celebrity.
The male wolf, named Neukgu, escaped from his enclosure at the O-World zoo in Daejeon on April 8, sparking a search that captured the nation’s attention and raised fears about his safety. Animal rights activists questioned whether the wolf could survive outside the zoo and also feared it could be killed during capture, something that happened to a cougar that escaped from the same zoo in 2018.
Intense national concern led President Lee Jae Myung to issue a statement reassuring the public that 89 police, firefighters and military personnel were doing their best to capture the wolf alive.
At some point, authorities almost captured Neukgu after spotting him on a mountain near the zoo earlier in the week, but he escaped the perimeter established by rescuers. A driver also spotted the wolf and shared a video of it trotting down a dark mountain road, illuminated by the headlights of the vehicle following it.
Neukgu was finally found and tranquilized on a hill near a highway on Friday morning, after hours of searches involving drones, police, emergency teams and veterinarians, according to city and zoo authorities.
He was in stable condition after being taken back to the zoo, where veterinarians used an endoscope to remove a fishing hook from his stomach, but found no other significant health problems.
Daejeon authorities released videos on social media showing rescuers pulling the limp wolf from a ditch and placing it in a transport crate, and the animal undergoing medical examinations at the zoo. Social media was flooded with celebratory posts, including messages such as “welcome back” and “Neukgu, it’s dangerous out there”. Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo, in a Facebook post, expressed his “deepest gratitude to the citizens of Daejeon and the entire nation for their support in ensuring Neukgu’s safe return.”
Born at the zoo in 2024, Neukgu is a third-generation descendant of a group of wolves brought from Russia in 2008 as part of a project to reintroduce wolves similar to those that lived in the Korean wild before becoming extinct in the 1960s.
Lee Kwan Jong, director of O-World, said that Neukgu will be kept in an area separate from the other animals and will receive care until he is fully recovered and stabilized.
The zoo’s management, which has been criticized for a series of animal escapes, closed the facility following Neukgu’s escape and says it has not yet decided when it will reopen.
Lee Kwan Jong said the zoo, which is reviewing its safety measures, will prioritize Neukgu’s recovery.
The animal is expected to be a major attraction when the zoo reopens.
