Neukgu the missing wolf is found safe and well after becoming internet sensation | World News

A wolf that escaped form a South Korean zoo, becoming an internet sensation in the process, has been found.

The two-year-old male wolf, named Neukgu, burrowed out of his enclosure at the O-World Zoo in Daejeon on 8 April, prompting a search.

Animal rights groups feared that the animal would not survive in the wild, or could even be killed during his caputre – as was the fate of a puma that escaped from the zoo in 2018.

But on Friday the search came to a happy end after Neukgu was found on a hill near a motorway, 4km (2.5 miles) away.

He was safely tranquilised and taken to vets, who discovered a fishing hook in his stomach, which was safely removed.

More than 100 people, including police officers and military troops – along with a host of drones – were deployed to find Neukgu.

Many fans took to social media to welcome back the wolf.

One said: “Neukgu, it’s dangerous outside the house.”

In a Facebook post, Daejeon mayor Lee Jang-woo expressed his “deepest gratitude to citizens of Daejeon and also the entire nation for your support in ensuring Neukgu’s safe return.”

Born at the zoo in 2024, Neukgu is a third-generation descendent of a group of wolves brought from Russia in 2008.

He was part of a plan to reintroduce wolves resembling those that lived in the Korean wild before going extinct in the 1960s.

Lee Kwan Jong, director of O-World, said Neukgu will be kept in a separate area from other animals and receive care until he has fully recovered and stabilized.

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The zoo’s management, which has been criticised over a series of animal escapes, closed the zoo following Neukgu’s escape, and said it had not decided when it would reopen.

Zoo director Lee Kwan Jong said the zoo, which is reviewing its security measures, will prioritise the animal’s recovery.