Overview
- Neukgu, which was caught early Friday at 12:44 a.m. near a Daejeon interchange, was tranquilized by a veterinarian and returned to the O-World zoo.
- Veterinarians said his pulse and temperature were normal and they removed a roughly 2.6-centimeter fishing hook from his stomach using an endoscope.
- The wolf escaped on April 8 by digging under a fence, setting off a nine-day search that used drones, thermal cameras and hundreds of responders, and led a nearby school to close.
- A widely shared photo that seemed to show the wolf in a city intersection was confirmed by AFP, an expert and local authorities as AI-generated, which complicated verification and messaging.
- Daejeon leaders apologized and said the zoo and theme park will stay closed for repairs and welfare measures, a move that follows criticism after a 2018 puma escape ended with the animal being shot.