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SWAT teams, soldiers and drones mobilized to capture wolf on the lam in Daejeon

Published: 09 Apr. 2026, 12:40 Updated: 09 Apr. 2026, 16:31

Firefighters hold a search coordination meeting at O-World, a theme park, in Daejeon on the morning of April 9, the second day after a wolf escaped from the park. [YONHAP]

With the search for the wolf that escaped from a zoo in Daejeon now in its second day, an animal expert says the wolf is likely in a "state of panic" but won't attack people because he was raised by humans, which makes him docile.

“Wolves are pack animals, so the escaped wolf is likely under significant stress,” said Choi Hyun-myung, an adjunct professor in the Department of Animal Health and Welfare at Cheongju University. He has studied wolves for 30 years.

“If capture efforts are rushed, it may become more agitated and try to hide even further.”

The wolf, named Neukgu, escaped its compound at the O-World theme park's zoo in Jung District, Daejeon, at around 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday. The theme park includes both amusement rides and a zoo. According to the Daejeon zoo, Neukgu escaped by digging under an enclosure fence.

Authorities have searched for the animal since the escape.

At 8 a.m. Thursday, police SWAT teams, military personnel and firefighters resumed search operations in the wooded hills behind O-World, using equipment including drones with thermal imaging cameras and search dogs.

A firefighter uses a drone to search for the escaped wolf at O-World in Daejeon on the morning of April 9, the second day after the animal escaped. [YONHAP]

A total of 400 personnel, including 120 police SWAT team members, have been mobilized.

Authorities also conducted overnight search-and-capture operations using drones and other equipment the previous day, but temporarily suspended the search at around 2:30 a.m. Thursday due to safety concerns.

“The wolf has stayed in the hills behind O-World, and movements toward the zoo have been detected,” said an official from the Daejeon City Corporation, which manages O-World. “However, its exact location has not been determined.”

Choi said the wolf is unlikely to have strayed far. “The wolf that escaped from O-World, is likely in a state of panic and would not have gone far,” he said.

Firefighters use a drone to search for the escaped wolf at O-World in Daejeon on the morning of April 9, the second day after the animal escaped. [YONHAP]

Choi also downplayed the likelihood of an attack.

“Wolves are generally timid by nature and tend to avoid humans rather than attack them,” Choi said. “Moreover, the escaped wolf was born in a zoo and has been domesticated, so its wild instincts are likely weak.”

Concerns have been raised that the wolf may exhibit sudden aggressive behavior after going without food for two days since its escape, but Choi dismissed such worries.

“Wolves can remain active even after going without food for seven to ten days,” the wolf expert said.

Fire authorities also said during a Thursday morning briefing that the wolf "had eaten two chickens just before its escape."

“However, if it becomes hungry, it may attack small animals such as dogs or approach leftover food waste discarded by people,” Choi said.

Firefighters use a drone to search for the escaped wolf at O-World in Daejeon on the morning of April 9, the second day after the animal escaped. [YONHAP]

Authorities plan to use the wolf’s homing instinct, an animal's natural ability to return to a familiar location, and the drive-hunting method, a technique in which animals are guided or herded in a specific direction, to bring it back to its enclosure in the park’s safari area.

However, with rain forecast throughout the day, searches using tracking dogs are expected to be difficult.

Authorities aim to capture the wolf alive using tranquilizer guns, but given that its range of movement can reach up to 100 kilometers (62 miles), they are also considering lethal measures if public safety is threatened.

The golden time for the wolf’s return is reportedly 48 hours.

After the wolf escaped on Wednesday morning, O-World immediately evacuated all visitors and blocked further entry. Notices that the park's operations would be suspended on Wednesday and Thursday were posted on its website, and normal operations will resume as soon as the park is safe, it said.

Fire authorities search for the escaped wolf at O-World in Daejeon on April 8. [DAEJEON FIRE HEADQUARTERS]

Firefighters search for the escaped wolf at O-World in Daejeon. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A notice announcing an emergency suspension of operations is posted on the website of Daejeon’s O-World, after a wolf escaped from its zoo on April 8. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The ticket office at Daejeon’s O-World, where a wolf escaped, is closed on April 8. [YONHAP]

The closed O-World after a wolf escaped from its zoo on April 8 [JOONGANG ILBO]

The animal is a two-year-old male, born in 2024, similar in size to a fully grown dog, and weighs about 30 kilograms (66 pounds).

The wolf was spotted twice during daytime on Wednesday. It was later detected at night in the hills behind the zoo via thermal imaging cameras, and at around 10:30 p.m., it was also seen near the zoo’s fence.

At around 6:39 p.m. the previous day, Daejeon officials sent out an emergency alert warning residents not to walk pets near Mount Bomun, saying that the wolf "may show aggression toward animals such as dogs.” The alert also urged residents to “return home immediately or evacuate indoors if they spot the wolf and to report it by calling 119.”

A wolf that escaped from a theme park roams the streets of Daejeon on April 8. [DAEJEON FIRE HEADQUARTERS]

A wolf wanders in urban areas of Daejeon on April 8. [DAEJEON FIRE HEADQUARTERS]

In addition, the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education ordered Sanseong Elementary School, located near O-World, to close on Thursday. Nearby schools were also advised on precautions in case the wolf appears.

Update, April 9, 2026: Added information about the escaped wolf, including its name, and quotes from wolf expert Choi Hyun-myung.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM BANG-HYUN [[email protected]]