In brief
Neukgu, the runaway wolf from a South Korean zoo, was finally captured after a nine-day search that gripped the public's attention. Authorities successfully located him near an expressway and confirmed his health post-capture. The search included the deployment of hundreds of rescue officials and utilized various strategies, including thermal imaging. Concerns had been raised about the wolf’s well-being, but ultimately he was found safe and unharmed.
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 this week, when the local fire department received a report on Monday night that Neukgu had been spotted on a mountain about 2km (1.2 miles) 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 the wolf that wouldn't stay caged and a symbol of independence.
Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of a programme at O-World to restore the Korean wolf, which once roamed the Korean Peninsula but is now considered extinct in the wild.
Authorities launched another search operation in the Anyeong-dong area on Thursday evening after receiving a tip-off. It was there that they finally caught him, shooting him with a tranquilliser gun before whisking him back to the zoo.
A video of the capture operation, posted by the Daejeon city government, showed a limp Neukgu being hauled by rescuers and placed in a carrier. Authorities later posted photos of a sedated Neukgu being attended to in a medical facility.
Thank you to everyone who worked hard to bring Neukgu home, the city government wrote on social media. To everyone who worried about Neukgu's safety and cheered us on, thank you all so much.
