A WOLF has escaped from a zoo in South Korea sparking a frantic hunt for the beast across the city.
The vicious canine, a two-year-old male, broke free from O-World in the Jung-gu district of Daejeon on Wednesday morning.
Terrifying images show the wolf prowling the streets after its escapeCredit: ViralPress
The vicious canine was even spotted walking along a busy main roadCredit: ViralPress
Just hours later the predator was spotted lurking near an elementary school.
According to authorities, the wolf dug a tunnel under its enclosure in a Great Escape-style breakout.
A joint response team including 35 firefighters, 116 police officers and about 100 zoo employees have been deployed to locate the animal.
Terrifying images show the escapee prowling the streets and even walking along a busy main road.
Residents were warned of the danger by Daejeon City officials via a disaster alert.
The warning read: “It has been confirmed that the wolf that escaped from O-World headed towards the O-World intersection, so please take precautions for your safety.”
O-World Zoo suspended all operations following the escape and launched a large-scale emergency search.
“We identified the escape before opening and are currently conducting an internal search without allowing visitors in,” the zoo said.
Established in 2009, O-World combines Daejeon Zoo and Joy Land amusement park.
The park features Zoo Land, home to around 600 to 900 animals across 130 to 160 species, as well as Joy Land, Flower Land, Bird Land, and Night Universe.
But it is not the first time a ferocious animal has escaped from its premises.
A puma was shot dead after it broke free from its enclosure and ran rampant for four and a half hours in 2018.
The latest escape comes amid a viral search for a capybara which has been on the run from a UK zoo for nearly two weeks.
Nine-month-old Samba has swerved search teams, dog units and even drones since slipping out of her enclosure.
Sightings have flooded in to Marwell Zoo, Hants — while her escape captured the public imagination and sparked a spate of hilarious memes.
And in 2023 a zebra charged through the streets of Seoul after escaping from a zoo.
The male zebra, named Sero, cut loose from Seoul Children’s Grand Park Zoo before setting off on a three-hour jaunt.
Bizarre footage of the stripey fugitive trotting through the capital city was filmed by local bystanders.
Other clips even captured the moment Sero poked his nose into residents’ garbage bins in the city’s east.
Police and emergency services were eventually able to locate the animal and trap it.
Sero was shot with tranquilizers and returned to the zoo.
