Bombay Durpun - Escaped wolf forces school closure in South Korea

The male wolf -- born in 2024 and weighing about 30 kilogrammes — escaped from a zoo at a theme park in Daejeon, about 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Seoul, on Wednesday, triggering a wide search in surrounding areas.

It remained at large Thursday, authorities said, with a nearby school closing for safety.

"Daejeon Sanseong Elementary School is closed today following the escape of a wolf from a zoo yesterday," a spokesperson for the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education told AFP.

More than 300 people -- including firefighters, police officers and military troops -- are taking part in the search operation, an official from the Daejeon Fire Headquarters said.

"We deployed drone cameras early in the morning but had to pull them back due to the ongoing rain," he told AFP.

The wolf dug into the ground and damaged the zoo's installed fence before escaping, according to the fire official.

Images released by local media showed it wandering in the middle of a road.

In 2023, a male zebra became a global sensation after escaping from a zoo in Seoul and was seen roaming through the streets.

The zebra — named Sero — was eventually cornered in a narrow alley, safely tranquilised and returned to his enclosure without any injuries.

C.F.Salvi--BD