SEOUL, Apr 17 — A wolf that escaped from a zoo in the South Korean city of Daejeon was recaptured today after nine days on the run, bringing to a close a saga that gripped the public as the elusive animal repeatedly evaded capture attempts.
After several sightings following the escape of the two-year-old male wolf, named Neukgu, the animal was spotted near a highway interchange about 4 km from the zoo yesterday, according to a zoo official.
A search team successfully recaptured Neukgu at 12.44 am local time today using a tranquiliser gun operated by a veterinarian.
Neukgu was transported back to the O-World zoo and is undergoing a health check. Officials said his vital signs are normal, although vets discovered and removed a fishing hook from his stomach.
The zoo and its associated theme park were closed after his escape and are expected to take some time before reopening, the official added.
Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo welcomed the wolf’s safe return and thanked the search team, pledging in a Facebook post to “prepare measures for animal welfare and civil safety in the process of reorganising (the zoo).”
Neukgu’s escape, in Daejeon about 170 km south of Seoul, had captured nationwide attention.
South Korean online forums were abuzz following news of the recapture, with some users calling Neukgu an “honorary ambassador for the zoo” and pledging to visit him once the facility reopens.
The wolf appeared to have escaped last week by burrowing under a fence, a zoo official said at the time. A nearby elementary school was closed as a precaution, while more than 100 personnel searched for the animal in an operation that included drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras.
The incident even spawned a cryptocurrency meme coin named ‘Neukgu’, which appeared on decentralised exchanges a week ago.
President Lee Jae Myung also commented on social media platform X last week, urging authorities to ensure a safe outcome.
Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of a programme to restore the Korean wolf, a species considered extinct in the wild.
