Massive mobilization due to a runaway wolf in South Korea. He's being searched with drones and military troops, and the president has issued a message
South Korean authorities have mobilized cameras with thermal imaging and drones as part of a growing operation to locate a wolf that escaped from a zoo for several days, the BBC reports.
The two-year-old male, named Neukgu, dug under the fence and managed to escape from the Daejeon O-World Zoo and Amusement Park in the central South Korean city of Daejeon on Wednesday, officials said.
More than 300 people – including firefighters, police officers and military troops – have been mobilized to search for the animal, the Daejeon fire department said.
The incident was also commented on Thursday by chairman Lee Jae Myung, who expressed his concern on social media platform X.
“I hope there are no human casualties and I pray that Neukgu also returns home safely,” wrote President Lee Jae Myung.
A school was closed
Because of the wolf on the loose, a nearby elementary school was placed on lockdown Thursday as a precaution, and authorities urged residents to be vigilant and report any sightings.
Thermal imaging provided by the Korea Wildlife Protection Association showed the wolf as it moved along a wooded hill near the zoo on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reported.
Camera drones were deployed early Thursday morning but had to be withdrawn due to heavy rain, an official told AFP news agency.
