Escaped wolf forces school closure in South Korea
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Rescue workers prepare to capture a wolf that escaped from a zoo in Daejeon on April 8.
PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL - A wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea remained at large on April 9, the authorities said, prompting a local school to close over safety concerns as the search continued.
The male wolf – born in 2024 and weighing about 30kg – escaped from a zoo at a theme park in Daejeon, about 150km south of Seoul, on April 8, triggering a wide search in surrounding areas.
The canine remained at large on April 9, the authorities said, with a nearby school closing for safety.
“Daejeon Sanseong Elementary School is closed today, following the escape of a wolf from a zoo yesterday,” a spokesperson for the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education told AFP.
More than 300 people – including firefighters, police officers and military troops – are taking part in the search operation, said an official from the Daejeon Fire Headquarters. “We deployed drone cameras early in the morning but had to pull them back due to the ongoing rain,” he said.
The wolf dug into the ground and damaged the zoo’s installed fence before escaping, according to the fire official.
Images released by the local media showed the wolf wandering in the middle of a road.
In 2023, a male zebra became a global sensation after escaping from a zoo in Seoul and was seen roaming through the streets.
The zebra – named Sero – was eventually cornered in a narrow alley, safely tranquillised and returned to his enclosure without any injuries. AFP
