South Korean school closes as escaped wolf remains at large

Kathmandu. A wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea remains at large, forcing the closure of a local school due to safety concerns. While search operations have intensified, authorities have heightened vigilance, prioritizing public safety.

The male wolf, born in 2024 and weighing approximately 30 kilograms, escaped from a theme park zoo in Daejeon on Wednesday. The city is located about 150 kilometers south of Seoul. With the wolf still not captured by Thursday, fear has spread throughout the surrounding areas.

Consequently, the nearby Daejeon Sansong Elementary School has been closed, according to a spokesperson for the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education. The spokesperson stated that school operations were suspended to ensure the safety of the children.

More than 300 security personnel, including firefighters, police, and military forces, have been deployed to search for the wolf. An official from the Daejeon Fire Headquarters noted that the search began in the morning using drone cameras, but had to be halted due to persistent rain.

Preliminary investigations suggest the wolf managed to escape by digging into the ground and weakening the zoo's perimeter wall. Images released by local media show the wolf roaming freely in a street area, further increasing public anxiety.

Previously, in 2023, a zebra named 'Sero' that escaped from a zoo in Seoul became a global sensation. The zebra was later captured in a narrow alley and safely returned to its enclosure.

Authorities continue their search operation with the goal of capturing the wolf alive and unharmed, and have urged the public to remain vigilant.