South Korea's runaway wolf finally captured after nine-day search

The search has been marked by twists and turns, gripping South Korea and even inspiring a meme coin. The search has been marked by twists and turns, gripping South Korea and even inspiring a meme coin.

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The search has been marked by twists and turns, gripping South Korea and even inspiring a meme coin.

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 the net seemed to be closing in, Neukgu would slink away.

Authorities had nearly caught him earlier this week, when the local fire department received a report on Monday night that Neukgu had been spotted on a mountain about 2km (1.2 miles) away from O-World, the zoo and theme park from which he had broken loose.

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.

Authorities pounced on the lead, launching a search-and-rescue mission, but ultimately he escaped again.

The elusive Neukgu has inspired a meme coin, hailed by its creators as a the “wolf that wouldn’t stay caged” and a “symbol of independence”.

Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of a programme at O-World to restore the Korean wolf, which once roamed the Korean Peninsula but is now considered extinct in the wild.

But after a life in captivity, some worried that he wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild.

Animal rights groups were also concerned that Neukgu would be killed during the capture process - something that happened to Porongi, a puma that had escaped from the same zoo in 2018.

Even South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung publicly prayed for Neukgu’s safe return home, in a post on social media.

Those fears have been put to rest now that Neukgu has been safely caught.

Authorities launched another search operation in the Anyeong-dong area on Thursday evening after receiving a tip-off. It was there that they finally caught him, shooting him in the thigh with a tranquilliser gun from 20m (66ft) away before whisking him back to the zoo.

He was “moving very fast”, authorities said, adding that they then monitored him via a drone. It took about six minutes before he entered a “stable” condition, they said.

A video of the capture operation, posted by the Daejeon city government, showed a limp Neukgu being hauled by rescuers and placed i

— 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 the net seemed to be closing in, Neukgu would slink away.

Authorities had nearly caught him earlier this week, when the local fire department received a report on Monday night that Neukgu had been spotted on a mountain about 2km (1.2 miles) away from O-World, the zoo and theme park from which he had broken loose.

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.

Authorities pounced on the lead, launching a search-and-rescue mission, but ultimately he escaped again.

The elusive Neukgu has inspired a meme coin, hailed by its creators as a the “wolf that wouldn’t stay caged” and a “symbol of independence”.

Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of a programme at O-World to restore the Korean wolf, which once roamed the Korean Peninsula but is now considered extinct in the wild.

But after a life in captivity, some worried that he wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild.

Animal rights groups were also concerned that Neukgu would be killed during the capture process - something that happened to Porongi, a puma that had escaped from the same zoo in 2018.

Even South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung publicly prayed for Neukgu’s safe return home, in a post on social media.

Those fears have been put to rest now that Neukgu has been safely caught.

Authorities launched another search operation in the Anyeong-dong area on Thursday evening after receiving a tip-off. It was there that they finally caught him, shooting him in the thigh with a tranquilliser gun from 20m (66ft) away before whisking him back to the zoo.

He was “moving very fast”, authorities said, adding that they then monitored him via a drone. It took about six minutes before he entered a “stable” condition, they said.

A video of the capture operation, posted by the Daejeon city government, showed a limp Neukgu being hauled by rescuers and placed i