Raised in captivity, the young wolf that went missing on April 8 in Daejeon may lack basic survival skills
Concerns are growing that the young wolf that went missing from a theme park in Daejeon on April 8 may not survive in the wild, as it was raised in captivity and lacks basic survival skills.
Experts warn that time may be running out, noting it has no hunting experience. It reportedly ate two raw chickens before escaping.
Authorities in Daejeon remained on high alert on Monday after deploying 10 drones and ground forces the previous day to search Bomunsan, a mountain near the zoo, where the male wolf was last seen.
The search, however, has so far come up empty.
Officials are also closely monitoring for potential safety risks and have urged residents to report any sightings immediately and avoid visiting the Bomunsan area. They believe the wolf has stayed within 6 kilometers of the zoo, but are considering expanding the search.
If the search shows no progress by Sunday, authorities may move to a more coordinated, multi-agency operation.
Several reported sightings of the 2-year-old wolf have turned out to be false alarms. Officials received seven calls from nearby areas claiming the animal had been spotted or found dead.
Named Deuk-gu, the male wolf born in 2024 escaped from the Daejeon O World safari park on the morning of April 8, after digging under the fence. The wolf was seen on a road at a nearby elementary school at about 1:10 p.m., according to the theme park.
As part of the search effort, police, firefighters, military personnel, special forces, hunters and dogs have been deployed.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
