Wolf Neukgu, Fears of Death Grow as Disappearance Drags On: "Struggling to Find Food"

Born and Raised in O-World, Lacks Hunting Skills
Anxiety Likely to Make Finding Food Even More Difficult
"Do Not Approach Neukgu If Sighted, Report Immediately" Authorities Urge

As the search for the escaped wolf 'Neukgu' from Daejeon O World enters its fourth day, concerns are being raised that Neukgu may die, as it is known to lack the ability to find food on its own.

At around 9:30 a.m. on the 8th, a male wolf named 'Neukgu' escaped from O World in Sajung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon. O World, the police, and fire authorities are searching using drones and other means. Yonhap News Agency

According to Daejeon O World and the Daejeon city government on April 11, all available personnel and equipment have been mobilized to search for Neukgu, but authorities are having difficulty tracking it due to the vast search area and mountainous terrain. As of 2 p.m. on April 10, Neukgu had been missing for 36 hours.

The last time Neukgu was captured by search authorities was at around 1:30 a.m. on April 9, the day after the escape. At that time, a possible sighting of Neukgu was captured on a thermal imaging camera near O World, but the tracking was interrupted during the process of replacing the drone's battery. Since then, no further traces of Neukgu have been found.

Adverse weather has also hampered the search. Rain and thick fog on April 9 limited drone operations and made visibility poor. As a result, the planned aerial search could not be properly carried out.

The search authorities are considering the possibility that Neukgu may have dug a burrow and is hiding, or that it has not been detected due to weather conditions. They are also considering the possibility that Neukgu has moved to an outlying area.

A city official stated, "Even when the wolf was inside the enclosure, it sometimes made a burrow and remained in hiding for more than three days." The official added, "The drone search radius has currently been expanded to a 6-kilometer distance."

There are also concerns that Neukgu, having been born and raised in O World and lacking hunting skills, will have difficulty surviving in the wild. A search authority official voiced concern, saying, "If Neukgu cannot find food, it may die. In particular, because Neukgu is in a state of anxiety, it is likely to have even more difficulty obtaining food." However, the officials believe that if Neukgu can find water, it could survive for about two weeks. Authorities have placed food at various locations as well.

Search authorities are focusing their aerial search on O World and the Bomunsan area, where Neukgu is most likely to be hiding. The Daejeon city government has asked citizens to refrain from hiking and outdoor activities in the Bomunsan area for safety reasons. In addition, they emphasized that if anyone spots Neukgu, they should never approach it and should report it immediately.

At around 9:30 a.m. on April 8, Neukgu escaped by digging through the dirt floor of the safari enclosure at O World and crawling under the fence. During a pre-opening inspection, O World discovered that one of the approximately 20 wolves in the safari pack was missing and began an internal search. About 40 minutes later, they reported the incident to Jung-gu authorities and the fire department. Neukgu is a male wolf born in January 2024 and is now two years old. He weighs about 30 kilograms, about the size of a large dog such as a Malamute.

On April 8, a photo was released showing Neukgu heading toward O World at the O World intersection in Sajung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon, but it turned out to be an AI-generated composite image. Because of this, some have criticized that the 'golden time' for the search was missed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.