On Friday, April 10, a male wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea has been roaming freely for three days, sparking widespread public attention. Not only has it led to the emergence of a meme coin in the cryptocurrency world, but even the President himself has personally inquired about the situation.
The O-World Zoo in Daegu City stated that the male wolf, named “Neukgu,” is around two years old and weighs approximately 35 kilograms (77 pounds). On Wednesday morning, it apparently dug a hole under its enclosure fence and successfully fled from the zoo.
According to Reuters, citing fire department and municipal officials, as a precaution, a nearby elementary school has been closed, and over 100 personnel, including firefighters, police, and military members, are actively searching for the wolf. Drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras have also been deployed for the search operation.
This incident has caught the attention of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. He took to the social platform X to express his concerns and urged the authorities to ensure the safe completion of the rescue operation.
In a post on Thursday, he wrote, “I hope there will be no casualties, and I pray that Neukgu can safely return home.” The post has been shared over 1,400 times.
Daegu is located approximately 170 kilometers south of the capital, Seoul. This incident has sparked widespread public and online community interest, stimulating their imagination.
As of Friday, a meme coin named “Neukgu” has been listed on decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges including PumpSwap, with a trading volume of about $140,000 in the past 24 hours. An English X account established for this wolf has also gathered nearly 500 followers.
Neukgu, born in 2024, is part of South Korea’s wolf restoration program. Wild Korean wolves are believed to be extinct.
In recent years, South Korea has experienced several high-profile zoo escape incidents. In 2023, a zebra roamed the streets of Seoul for several hours before being captured.