A wolf that escaped from a zoo in the South Korean city of Daejeon has been recaptured after nine days on the run, bringing to a close a saga that gripped the public as the elusive animal evaded earlier capture attempts.
After a number of sightings following the escape of the two-year-old male wolf, named Neukgu, was spotted near a motorway interchange about 4km from the zoo yesterday, according to a zoo official.
A search team then successfully recaptured Neukgu in the early hours of this morning using a tranquiliser gun operated by a veterinarian.
Neukgu was transported back to the O-World zoo and was undergoing a health check, the official said, adding his vital signs were normal though vets found and removed a fishing hook from his stomach.
The zoo and an associated theme park were closed after his escape and will take some time to reopen, the official said.
Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo welcomed the wolf's safe return and thanked the search party, pledging in a post on social media to "prepare measures for animal welfare and civil safety in the process of reorganising (the zoo)".
Neukgu's escape in Daejeon, about 170km south of the capital Seoul, had captured the nation's attention.
South Korean online message boards were abuzz with news of the recapture, with some posts calling Neukgu an "honorary ambassador for the zoo" and vowing to visit him once it reopened.
Neukgu appeared to have slipped out of the zoo 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 effort that included the use of drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras.
President Lee Jae Myung also weighed in on the 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.
