Neukgu, the wolf that escaped from a Daejeon zoo on Wednesday, remains missing for a third day.
Fire authorities and police began an intensive search before sunrise on Friday, using drones equipped with high-resolution thermal imaging cameras.
Authorities believe the wolf is still near the zoo, guided by its homing instinct.
The previous day's search continued until 2 a.m. Friday. Drone teams worked in pairs with five thermal imaging cameras, but rain on Thursday limited their effectiveness.
Officials also divided the forested hills around O-World zoo into five sectors and conducted coordinated sweeps in each.
About 300 personnel formed a human chain along sector boundaries. Twenty-two traps were placed along barbed-wire fences at the hill edges.
The wolf was spotted five times in those areas between 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and 2 a.m. Thursday.
To lure the wolf back, the zoo has broadcast wolf howls since Thursday morning, hoping Neukgu will respond to the pack it once lived with in the safari enclosure. The zoo is also replaying visitor announcements that the animal has heard daily since its birth in January 2024.
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