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 he would slip away. The authorities had nearly caught him earlier this week when the local fire department received a report he had been spotted on a mountain about 2 km away from O-World, the zoo he escaped from. 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 even inspired a meme coin, hailed by its creators as a 'wolf that wouldn't stay caged' and a 'symbol of independence'.
Neukgu was finally caught in Anyeong-dong after another search operation was launched. He was tranquillized from a distance before his safe retrieval. Authorities reported he hadn’t lost much weight, and found a fishing hook in his stomach, which was later removed through surgery.
With cheers of relief, many including South Korea's president had prayed for Neukgu's safe return. The city government thanked everyone involved in his rescue, expressing gratitude to those who shared their concern for the wolf's safety.
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 he would slip away. The authorities had nearly caught him earlier this week when the local fire department received a report he had been spotted on a mountain about 2 km away from O-World, the zoo he escaped from. 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 even inspired a meme coin, hailed by its creators as a 'wolf that wouldn't stay caged' and a 'symbol of independence'.
Neukgu was finally caught in Anyeong-dong after another search operation was launched. He was tranquillized from a distance before his safe retrieval. Authorities reported he hadn’t lost much weight, and found a fishing hook in his stomach, which was later removed through surgery.
With cheers of relief, many including South Korea's president had prayed for Neukgu's safe return. The city government thanked everyone involved in his rescue, expressing gratitude to those who shared their concern for the wolf's safety.
