South Koreans breathe a sigh of relief as escaped wolf is safely returned to zoo | South Korea

Into the internet South Korea erupted in celebration when a two-year-old wolf that escaped from a zoo was safely captured after a nine-day manhunt that gripped the nation and made the animal a national celebrity.

The male wolf, named Neukgu, dug out of his camp on April 8 at the O-World Zoo in Daejeon. Animal rights activists questioned whether the wolf could survive outside the zoo and were also concerned that it could be killed during capture, something that happened to a cougar that escaped from the same zoo in 2018.

Intense national concern even prompted South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, to issue a statement reassuring the public that police, fire officials and the military were doing their best to capture the wolf alive.

Earlier this week, authorities nearly captured Neukgu after spotting him on a mountain near the zoo, but he broke away from a perimeter set by rescue workers. A driver also spotted the wolf and shared a video of him jogging along a dark mountain road, illuminated by the headlights of the vehicle trailing behind.

Neukgu was finally found early Friday on a hillside near a highway and calmed down after an hours-long search involving drones, police and emergency workers and veterinarians, according to city and zoo officials. He was in stable condition after being taken back to the zoo, where vets used a telescope to remove a fish hook from his stomach but found no other significant health problems.

Daejeon officials released social media videos showing rescuers pulling the limp wolf from a ditch and placing him in a carrier, and the animal undergoing medical examinations at the zoo.

Social media was flooded with celebratory posts, including messages saying “welcome back” and “Neukgu, it’s dangerous outside the house.” In a Facebook post, Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo expressed his “deepest gratitude to the citizens of Daejeon and also the entire nation for your support in ensuring Neukgu’s safe return.”

Born at the zoo in 2024, Neukgu is a third-generation descendant of a group brought from Russia in 2008 as part of a project to reintroduce wolves that resemble those that lived in the wild in Korea before they went extinct in the 1960s.

Lee Kwan Jong, the director of O-World, said Neukgu will be kept in a separate area from other animals and receive care until he has fully recovered and stabilized.

The zoo’s management, which has been criticized over a series of animal escapes, closed the facility after Neukgu erupted. He is said to have not decided when the zoo will reopen.

Lee Kwan Jong said the zoo, which is reviewing its security measures, will prioritize Neukgu’s recovery. The wolf is expected to be a major attraction when the zoo reopens.