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Runaway wolf captured after 9 days, returned to O-World zoo

Published: 17 Apr. 2026, 08:49

Runaway wolf Neukgu is captured and under anesthesia on April 17, nine days after its escape from the Daejeon O-World zoo. [DAEJEON METROPOLITAN CITY]

A runaway wolf named Neukgu that escaped from a zoo in Daejeon was captured near a nearby interchange early Friday, nine days after its escape.

Neukgu was captured at around 12:44 a.m. near Anyeong Interchange, the Daejeon city government said on Friday. A veterinarian confirmed that Neukgu's pulse and body temperature were within normal ranges. Neukgu remains under anesthesia and was transported to the O-World theme park's zoo in Jung District, Daejeon, immediately after being captured.

The capture operation began in earnest at around 11:45 p.m. Thursday after a suspected sighting of Neukgu in the Anyeong-dong area. The search team began preparing anesthesia at around 12:15 a.m. Friday, located the animal and moved in. A tranquilizer dart was fired at around 12:39 a.m., and the capture was completed at 12:44 a.m.

Earlier in the day, authorities launched a search in the area starting at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, following a tip near Ppuri Park. A suspected sighting at around 9:54 p.m. later turned out to be a badger, complicating efforts to capture the animal.

Runaway wolf Neukgu is seen near a mountainside in Daejeon on April 13. [YONHAP]

Veterinarians and experts check the state of runaway wolf Neukgu, which was captured and kept under anesthesia on April 17, nine days after its escape from the Daejeon O-World zoo. [DAEJEON METROPOLITAN CITY]

Neukgu had evaded capture multiple times since escaping on April 8. On April 9, it disappeared from view during a drone battery replacement, and on Tuesday, it vanished again after jumping over a four-meter (13-foot) retaining wall and passing through a capture net.

“We have moved Neukgu to O-World,” a search authority said. “There are no signs of health issues so far, and we are monitoring its condition until the anesthesia wears off.”

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 PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]