Wolf Neukgu found safe and returned to South Korean zoo after 9 days

A wolf who escaped a South Korean zoo nine days ago, captivating international attention, has been found and safely returned.

Neukgu burrowed his way out of the O-World zoo and theme park in Daejeon, south of Seoul, on April 8.

His search kept the country on edge as many worried for the 2-year-old wolf eight years after a puma named Bbo-rong was shot and killed hours after it escaped from the same zoo.

Neukgu was seen several times before he was captured, including on surveillance video.

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He was also seen near a highway nearly three miles from the zoo, a zoo official said.

The animal was captured just after midnight on Friday after he was shot by a veterinarian using a tranquilizer gun.

His vital signs were normal following a health check, but a fish hook was removed from his stomach, zoo officials said.

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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.

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 for those involved in the search for bring Neukgu back safely, and pledged on Facebook to “prepare measures for animal ​welfare and civil safety in the process of reorganising (the zoo).”

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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.

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 following Neukgu’s return, as it faces scrutiny following as series of animal escapes. A nearby elementary school also briefly closed after his escape for safety reasons.

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Lee Kwan Jong, director of O-World, said that 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, with the director adding that Neukgu’s health will take precedence.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.