At O-World, a zoo in Daejeon, the wolf ‘Neukgu’ that escaped and was later captured is going viral online and emerging as a ‘star animal’. Interest in O-World ahead of its reopening is rising as well.

According to Kyunghyang Shinmun reporting on the 19th, even posts have appeared on the secondhand trading platform Danggeun Market saying ‘Recruiting party members to go to O-World to see Neukgu.’ As interest in Neukgu grows, there are also reactions from people who say they have already purchased O-World unlimited-pass tickets in advance.

Netizens are leaving comments such as “I hesitated because Daejeon does not have many tourist attractions, but I want to go see Neukgu” and “O-World, once said to be in the redmight Neukgu be saving it?” Quite a few are also planning visits that combine a stop at the flagship bakery Sungsimdang in Daejeon with a trip to O-World.

In addition, on social media and online communities, composite images are spreading as if Neukgu, billed as a ‘professional escape artist wolf,’ appeared on the talk show <You Quiz on the Block>. Reactions such as “If Neukgu could speak, I would like to hear the full escape story” and “Did it break out after getting angry while watching baseball?” continue to appear.

There are also voices calling for the release of the so-called ‘Neukgu Bread’ at Sungsimdang. Comments like “If a Neukgu character bread comes out, I want to go to Daejeon to see it and eat it” and “It would be good to make it a menu item to mark the return” reflect growing expectations that tie consumption with tourism.

However, the reopening date for O-World has not yet been set. An official from Daejeon City said, “We are preparing to reopen while checking the health of Neukgu,” and added, “Because O-World is not only a zoo but a theme park with various facilities, we are reviewing the overall timing of operations together.”

Environmental groups are using this case to raise the need for a review of overall zoo operations.

The Daejeon Environmental Movement Alliance stated in a commentary that “Although Daejeon O-World has been evaluated as a place whose facilities and husbandry conditions are relatively not bad among domestic zoos, similar accidents have been repeated without fundamental change since the past incident in which the puma ‘Porong-i’ was shot,” and that “a national inspection of the overall system for managing wild animals, including big cats, is necessary.”

It added, “Since animals are beings with their own ecological instincts, a social discussion is needed on whether current methods of care are sustainable.”

Meanwhile, Neukgu escaped from the wolf safari inside O-World on the 8th, moved around for ten days, and was captured by search authorities at around 12:44 a.m. on the 17th in a waterway near the Anyeong Interchange in Anyeong-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon. The spot where it was found is about 1.8㎞ away in a straight line from O-World.