South Korea captures escaped zoo wolf alive

South Korean officials on Friday safely recaptured Neukgu, a two-year-old wolf that had escaped from O-World zoo in Daejeon and sparked nine days of national attention, anxiety and online fascination. The successful capture brought relief to people who feared both for public safety and for the animal?s survival.

Neukgu escaped on 8 April, and the search quickly grew into a major story. Animal rights groups questioned whether the wolf could survive in the wild and warned against a violent response, especially given memories of an earlier zoo escape in which a puma was shot. The issue became so prominent that the country?s president publicly reassured people that officials were trying to capture the wolf alive.

Rescue efforts involved drones, police, firefighters, emergency workers and veterinarians. Although the wolf had previously slipped through a search perimeter, teams eventually found him on a hill near an expressway early on Friday and used a tranquilizer to secure him.

Zoo officials later said Neukgu was in stable condition after his return. Veterinarians removed a fishing hook from his stomach but found no major further injuries. The ending was seen as a rare success story in a case that had blended animal welfare, public concern and intense media attention.