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Featured image adapted from @jun70795 on Instagram.
A wolf that escaped from the Daejeon O-World zoo in South Korea was spotted again on Monday (13 April), days after going missing.
Authorities attempted to capture the animal, a two-year-old male named Neukgu, but the operation ultimately failed after it broke through the perimeter and fled.
Source: @jun70795 on Instagram
According to reports, a sighting was made at around 10pm on Monday in a wooded area near the zoo, roughly 1.8km away.
Source: @jun70795 on Instagram
In the early hours of Tuesday (14 April), a joint team comprising firefighters, police, rescue personnel, and animal authorities was deployed to capture the wolf using tranquiliser guns.
Authorities tracked Neukgu and engaged in a standoff for more than five hours.
However, the tranquiliser shot missed, and the wolf escaped at around 6.35am after breaking through the capture net.
Drone footage later captured the wolf resting in nearby grassland, though it moved off shortly after.
Search efforts have since intensified, with authorities deploying up to 11 drones equipped with thermal imaging to track the wolf day and night.
Source: @jun70795 on Instagram
However, rising daytime temperatures have made it harder to detect Neukgu using heat sensors, raising concerns that the search could be prolonged.
While there have been numerous public reports of sightings across the city, many have turned out to be false alarms involving other animals.
Experts say the wolf appears to be in good condition and capable of agile movement, having been seen jumping over walls as high as 3 to 4 metres.
They believe it may be surviving on animal carcasses and water in the surrounding mountainous areas, and is likely lingering near the zoo rather than straying far.
Neukgu first escaped on Wednesday (8 April) morning after digging a hole under the enclosure fence.
The wolf remained within the zoo grounds briefly before leaving the premises later that morning.
Source: JoongAng
It was later spotted near Daejong Sanseong Elementary School, about 1.6km from the zoo, prompting the school to close as a precaution.
The escape triggered a large-scale search involving hundreds of personnel, including military forces, with authorities continuing efforts to locate and safely capture the animal.
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Featured image adapted from @jun70795 on Instagram.