Soldiers, drones chase escaped zoo wolf in South Korea

Soldiers and drones were deployed Thursday to track an escaped zoo wolf in South Korea.

The wolf, named Neukgu, escaped from a theme park zoo in Daejeon on Wednesday morning by digging under an enclosure fence, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Authorities have since been searching for the animal.

On Thursday morning, police SWAT teams, military personnel, and firefighters continued the operation using drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras and search dogs.

A total of 400 personnel, including 120 police SWAT officers, have been mobilized for the effort.

Drones and other equipment were also used in overnight search-and-capture operations, but these were suspended around 2.30 am Thursday (1730 GMT Wednesday) due to safety concerns.

Authorities plan to rely on the wolf’s homing instinct—its natural ability to return to a familiar location—and a drive-hunting method, in which animals are guided in a specific direction, to bring it back to its enclosure.

They also aim to capture the wolf alive using tranquilizer guns. However, lethal measures are being considered if public safety is threatened, noting that wolves can roam up to 100 kilometers (62 miles).

The golden time for the wolf’s return is reportedly 48 hours.

Following the escape, the park evacuated all visitors and suspended operations on Wednesday and Thursday. Normal operations will resume once the site is deemed safe.