Hairy moments as escaped wolf returned to zoo in South Korea

The male wolf, named Neukgu, burrowed out of his enclosure at the O-World zoo in Daejeon on April 8, prompting a search that gripped the nation and raised fears about his safety

The wolf, named Neukgu, escaped from the Daejeon O-World theme park in Daejeon (Daejeon Municipality via AP)

Fri, 17 Apr, 2026 - 08:33

Kim Tong-Hyung, Associated Press

South Koreans are celebrating after a two-year-old wolf that escaped from a zoo was captured safely after a nine-day search that kept the nation on edge.

The male wolf, named Neukgu, burrowed out of his enclosure at the O-World zoo in Daejeon on April 8, prompting a search that gripped the nation and raised fears about his safety – and also made him something of a celebrity.