South Korean authorities have launched an extensive high-tech search operation for a wolf that escaped from a zoo three days ago, deploying thermal imaging cameras and drones to track the animal.
Neukgu, a two-year-old male wolf, burrowed under a fence at Daejeon O-World zoo and theme park in central Daejeon on Wednesday, according to zoo officials. The escape prompted the mobilization of over 300 personnel, including firefighters, police officers, and military troops, to locate the animal.
"I hope no human casualties occur and I pray that Neukgu also returns home safely," President Lee Jae Myung posted on social media platform X on Thursday.
As a precautionary measure, a nearby elementary school was closed on Thursday while the wolf remained at large. Authorities have urged residents to exercise caution and immediately report any sightings.
Thermal imaging footage captured by the Korea Wildlife Protection Association shows the wolf moving along a wooded hillside near the zoo on Wednesday. Drone cameras were deployed early Thursday morning but had to be withdrawn due to heavy rain, according to officials.
Zoo officials confirmed that the wolf damaged the fence before escaping. "We conduct daily inspections of each enclosure before opening, and one wolf was missing," an official at Daejeon O-World told The Korea Times. "After checking CCTV, we confirmed it had dug through the soil at the bottom of the enclosure and escaped."
Born in 2024, Neukgu was part of a conservation program aimed at restoring the Korean wolf, a species considered extinct in the wild. The incident has drawn comparisons to a 2023 escape of a zebra from a Seoul zoo.
In a curious development, the runaway wolf has inspired a meme coin named 'Neukgu' that appeared on decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges within the last 24 hours.