Daejeon O-World wolf still not captured after escape attempt using recorded howls fails

According to Financial News, a capture team searching for the wolf that escaped from Daejeon O-World on the morning of the 8th spotted the animal near the zoo’s enclosure area during the night and early morning hours of the 8th and 9th, but failed to capture it.
On the 9th, Daejeon O-World, fire authorities, and police said they had deployed a minimum number of personnel and conducted an all-night search of nearby hills where the wolf was believed to be hiding, but were unable to catch it. The capture team used drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras, urgently brought in from Daegu Metropolitan City, and tracked the animal, confirming at around 10:20 p.m. the previous day that the wolf had approached the area near its enclosure. During this process, the team used the sound of wolf howls played from the drone to lure the animal toward the zoo, but they failed to draw it back inside. Authorities continued the pursuit into the second day of the search, but around 1:30 a.m. on the 9th, they reportedly lost track of the wolf while changing the batteries on the thermal imaging drone.
An official from Daejeon O-World said, "Wolves have a strong homing instinct, so we tried to lure it using recorded wolf howls," adding, "We confirmed through the thermal imaging drone that this wolf had come close to the zoo, but we were not able to guide it back into the enclosure."
A capture team made up of fire authorities, police, and private experts has been conducting search operations for a second day. However, experts warn that overly aggressive capture attempts or coercive actions could cause the wolf to flee farther, expanding the search area, so the team is proceeding with caution.
Authorities say they plan to capture the wolf alive using tranquilizer guns if at all possible, but they are also considering lethal force if public safety is threatened.
Meanwhile, as the search for the wolf enters its second day, the zoo’s inadequate management of dangerous animals is drawing criticism. Closed-circuit TV footage shows that Neukgu, a male wolf born in 2024, escaped by digging out the soil beneath a wire fence. Although the fence was electrified to keep animals from approaching, it failed to prevent the wolf from getting out.

kwj5797@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Won-jun Reporter