Neukgu, the two-year-old wolf who broke loose from a South Korean zoo and captured the nation's attention, has finally been captured following a nine-day long search. Neukgu was captured near an expressway on Friday at 00:44 local time (16:44 GMT), according to the government of Daejeon, the central city where his zoo was located. Upon a medical examination, Neukgu's pulse and body temperature were normal, authorities said. Hundreds of rescue officials had been deployed to find the wolf, and there were a couple of times when authorities came close to getting him - but each time the net seemed to be closing in, Neukgu would slink away.
Authorities had nearly caught him earlier in the week, when the local fire department received a report on Monday night that Neukgu had been spotted on a mountain about 2 km away from O-World, the zoo and theme park from which he had broken loose. A video of the wolf scampering on a road in the dark, illuminated by the headlights of a vehicle, was also uploaded on social media. The elusive Neukgu has inspired a meme coin, hailed by its creators as a "wolf that wouldn't stay caged" and a "symbol of independence".
Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of a program at O-World to restore the Korean wolf, which once roamed the Korean Peninsula but is now considered extinct in the wild. However, after a life in captivity, some worried that he wouldn't be able to survive in the wild. The fears were alleviated once Neukgu was captured. Authorities launched another search operation in the Anyeong-dong area on Thursday evening after receiving a tip-off. There, they finally caught him, shooting him with a tranquilizer gun before whisking him back to the zoo.
The Daejeon city government thanked everyone involved in the rescue mission, expressing gratitude to those who worried about Neukgu's safety and cheered for his safe return.
Authorities had nearly caught him earlier in the week, when the local fire department received a report on Monday night that Neukgu had been spotted on a mountain about 2 km away from O-World, the zoo and theme park from which he had broken loose. A video of the wolf scampering on a road in the dark, illuminated by the headlights of a vehicle, was also uploaded on social media. The elusive Neukgu has inspired a meme coin, hailed by its creators as a "wolf that wouldn't stay caged" and a "symbol of independence".
Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of a program at O-World to restore the Korean wolf, which once roamed the Korean Peninsula but is now considered extinct in the wild. However, after a life in captivity, some worried that he wouldn't be able to survive in the wild. The fears were alleviated once Neukgu was captured. Authorities launched another search operation in the Anyeong-dong area on Thursday evening after receiving a tip-off. There, they finally caught him, shooting him with a tranquilizer gun before whisking him back to the zoo.
The Daejeon city government thanked everyone involved in the rescue mission, expressing gratitude to those who worried about Neukgu's safety and cheered for his safe return.
