Escaped Zoo Wolf Finally Spotted After 5 Days on the Run in South Korea—But It’s Still Not Captured
A young wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea last week has finally been seen—but the animal remains on the loose, evading an intensive capture effort involving drones, traps and police officers.
The wolf, named Neukgu, was spotted at 10:43 p.m. Monday on a small mountain near the Daejeon O-World theme park, according to The Korea Times. The sighting marked the first confirmed glimpse of the animal since it escaped from the O-World zoo on the morning of April 8.
The sighting prompted an overnight search and capture operation, firefighting officials said.
How the wolf was found—and lost again
Authorities confirmed Neukgu’s location using a thermal imaging drone and quickly deployed traps and additional police officers to the area surrounding the mountain. Despite those efforts, the wolf slipped away. By 6:35 a.m. Tuesday, the animal had again disappeared.
Five military drones have since been deployed to continue the search, widening the scope of an operation that has drawn national attention in South Korea.
How Neukgu escaped
Neukgu, a two-year-old male born in 2024, managed to escape the O-World zoo by burrowing under a fence surrounding its enclosure, according to officials.
An official at Daejeon O-World told The Korea Times: “We conduct daily inspections of each enclosure before opening, and one wolf was missing. After checking CCTV, we confirmed it had dug through the soil at the bottom of the enclosure and escaped.”
The escape went unnoticed until staff conducted their routine morning check and realized one wolf was unaccounted for. Security footage confirmed the animal had dug its way out from beneath the enclosure barrier.
President weighs in
The situation has drawn attention at the highest levels of government. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung addressed the escape in a post on X, according to BBC, stating, “I hope no human casualties occur and I pray that Neukgu also returns home safely.”
The president’s message underscored how widely the story has resonated across the country, with both public safety concerns and sympathy for the animal driving the conversation.
Why Neukgu matters beyond the headlines
Neukgu is not just any zoo animal. The wolf is part of a conservation program aimed at restoring the Korean wolf, a species considered extinct in the wild, according to Reuters. That status makes the young wolf’s safe return all the more significant—not only for public safety but for the broader effort to preserve a species that no longer exists outside of captive breeding programs.
A story that has captured public attention
The escape has generated widespread media coverage and online attention. The story has taken on a life of its own on social media, including the creation of a meme cryptocurrency named “Neukgu,” according to media reports.
As of the most recent updates, Neukgu remains at large somewhere in the mountainous terrain near the Daejeon O-World theme park. Authorities continue their search using military drones and ground teams, but the wolf—born and raised in captivity—has so far proven elusive in the wild landscape surrounding its former home.
The combination of a rare and endangered animal, a dramatic escape and a massive search operation has turned Neukgu’s story into one of the most closely followed events in South Korea, with residents and officials alike hoping for a safe resolution.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 5:23 AM.