Howl recordings and an AI image: Inside South Korea's long hunt for an escaped wolf

Last week, a young wolf burrowed under a fence at his zoo in the South Korean city of Daejeon and escaped - becoming the country's newest, furriest fugitive.Since then, the hunt for two-year-old Neukgu has undergone twists and turns, captivated the country and even inspired an eponymous meme coin.Despite the more than 300 firefighters, Police officers and Military troops deployed to find him, Neukgu has eluded capture for a week and counting.There were some near misses: the day after his escape, Neukgu showed up on thermal imaging cameras as a glowing blob weaving through foliage near Daejeon-o-world" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="107997" data-entity-type="organization">Daejeon O-World, the zoo and theme park from which he had broken loose.But authorities lost track of him while replacing the battery of the camera drone, local media reported.Then came another breakthrough on Monday night, when the local Fire Department received a report that Neukgu had been spotted on a mountain about 2km (1.2 miles) away from O-World.A video of the wolf scampering on a road in the dark, illuminated by the headlights of a vehicle, was uploaded on social media.Authorities pounced on the lead, launching a search-and-rescue mission that involved dozens of Police officers and Military drones.