South Korea captures escaped zoo wolf alive
A nationwide search ended with the wolf returning safely to the zoo.
Authorities in South Korea safely captured an escaped wolf on Friday, ending a nine-day search that had drawn national attention and turned the animal into an unlikely public celebrity.
The two-year-old male wolf, named Neukgu, escaped from his enclosure at O-World zoo in Daejeon on 8 April. People were worried both about public safety and about the possibility that the wolf could be harmed during the operation to recapture him.
Officials searched with help from drones, police, emergency workers and veterinarians. Earlier attempts nearly succeeded, but the animal managed to break away. Eventually, teams located him on a hill near an expressway and tranquilized him.
After being returned to the zoo, Neukgu was described as stable. Veterinarians removed a fishing hook from his stomach and found no major additional injuries, which added to the public relief at the end of the search.