Those fears have been put to rest now that Neukgu has been safely caught.
Authorities launched another search operation in the Anyeong-dong area on Thursday evening after receiving a tip-off. It was there that they finally caught him, shooting him in the thigh with a tranquilliser gun from 20m (66ft) away before whisking him back to the zoo.
He was “moving very fast”, authorities said, adding that they then monitored him via a drone. It took about six minutes before he entered a “stable” condition, they said.
A video of the capture operation, posted by the Daejeon city government, showed a limp Neukgu being hauled by rescuers and placed in a carrier. Authorities later posted photos of a sedated Neukgu being attended to in a medical facility.
Authorities said Neukgu “hadn’t lost much weight” and “looked like he had eaten”. They also found a fishing hook inside his stomach, which was removed through endoscopic surgery.
“Thank you to everyone who worked hard to bring Neukgu home,” the city government wrote on social media.
“To everyone who worried about Neukgu’s safety and cheered us on, thank you all so much.”
