South Korea's Elusive Wolf Neukgu Captured After Days of Pursuit

Fri Apr 17 2026 04:39:02 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

After a nine-day search that captivated a nation, Neukgu, a wolf escaped from a South Korean zoo, has finally been captured and returned safely.

Neukgu, a two-year-old wolf who escaped from a zoo in Daejeon, South Korea, has been successfully captured following a nine-day search. Rescue efforts involved hundreds of officials and stressed the importance of the animal's return due to concerns over its survival in the wild after a life in captivity. Authorities confirmed the wolf's health was stable post-capture.

South Korea's Elusive Wolf Neukgu Captured After Days of Pursuit

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 several tense moments when authorities came close to capturing him; however, each time he managed to evade capture.

Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of a program at O-World aimed at restoring the Korean wolf population, which is now considered extinct in the wild. Upon his escape, the creature sparked an outpouring of public interest, with many worried for his safety due to past incidents involving escaped zoo animals.

Authorities launched another search in the Anyeong-dong area on Thursday evening after receiving a tip-off, where they finally caught him, shooting him with a tranquilizer before returning him to the zoo.

After the successful operation, the Daejeon city government expressed gratitude on social media, thanking everyone who assisted in bringing Neukgu safely home. With the wolf's return, concerns over his welfare and survival have been alleviated.