A wolf that made headlines worldwide after escaping from a South Korean zoo has been safely recaptured after nine days on the loose.
The wolf, named Neukgu, managed to burrow out of the O-World zoo and theme park in Daejeon, located south of Seoul, on April 8.
The escape initiated a nationwide search effort that kept South Korea on edge, echoing memories of a similar incident eight years ago when a puma named Bbo-rong was fatally shot after escaping from the same zoo.
Throughout his time on the run, Neukgu was spotted multiple times, including being caught on surveillance footage.
His nine-day adventure came to an end after he was finally captured, marking a successful conclusion to the tense search.
Remarkably, zoo officials noted that Neukgu had even been sighted near a highway, nearly three miles away from his home at the zoo.
The animal was captured just after midnight Friday after he was shot by a veterinarian using a tranquilizer gun.
His vital signs were normal after a health check, but a fishhook was removed from his stomach, zoo officials said.
Neukgu after he was captured. (Daejeon City Corporation/Reuters)
Neukgu, born in captivity in 2024, is part of a breeding program to bring up the numbers of the Korean wolf, which is considered extinct in the wild.
A veterinarian examines the condition of a male wolf named Neukgu at Daejeon O-World theme park in Daejeon, South Korea, April 17, 2026. (Daejeon Municipality/AP)
He is of the third generation of wolves brought to South Korea from Russia to reintroduce an animal similar to the Korean wolf, which went extinct in the 1960s.
Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo expressed his gratitude to those involved in the search for bringing Neukgu back safely and pledged on Facebook to “prepare measures for animal welfare and civil safety in the process of reorganising (the zoo).”
The extensive search included drones with thermal image cameras.
Neukgu escaped an earlier attempt at capture when he evaded a perimeter set for him on a mountain near the zoo.
South Koreans were enthralled by Neukgu’s escape, with some calling him an “honorary ambassador for the zoo.” He even sparked an eponymous cryptocurrency meme.
Veterinarians and staff examine Neukgu at Daejeon O-World theme park in Daejeon, South Korea, April 17, 2026. (Daejeon Municipality/AP)
Fans of the wolf lit up social media after his rescue, writing, “welcome back” and “Neukgu, it’s dangerous outside the house.”
After Neukgu’s escape last week, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wrote on X, “Currently, the police, fire services, and military are mobilizing their full resources to ensure a safe capture and return. I sincerely hope that no casualties occur, and I pray that Neukgu, too, returns safely and unharmed.”
O-World remains closed after Neukgu’s return, and it faces scrutiny after as series of animal escapes. A nearby elementary school also briefly closed after the wolf’s escape for safety reasons.
Lee Kwan Jong, director of O-World, said Neukgu will be kept separate from the other animals until he has recovered.
Zoo officials said they aren’t sure when O-World will reopen as they review security measures, and the director added that Neukgu’s health will take precedence.
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