Busan Shark Returns Hours After Rescue as Waters Cool
(MENAFN) A critically watched dusky shark, an endangered species, has swum back into a South Korean port canal just hours after officials guided it to open sea, local media reported Thursday. The animal had already been trapped in the Busan waterway for more than a month.
The female shark, nicknamed Bukang-i, was sighted Thursday morning near the canal entrance at Busan’s North Port Waterfront Park. It had crossed a floating barrier late Wednesday, a South Korean English-language daily reported.
It is the second time the shark has breached barriers after a rescue effort.
Authorities declared Wednesday’s operation a success at about 6.10 pm local time (0910GMT). Yet at roughly 11.05 pm (1405GMT), the shark was seen crossing the barrier back into the canal.
Officials are now weighing two options: strengthening the barriers, or capturing the shark and moving it to open waters.
The animal’s repeated returns have baffled authorities, who are increasingly worried about its failing health and the dropping water temperatures. The National Institute of Fisheries Science has not seen Bukang-i feed. Apparent injuries, along with video showing the shark hitting a canal wall, have deepened those concerns.
First spotted on Sept. 18, the shark has become a local draw. More than 1.6 million people had visited as of Sunday, a South Korean news agency reported.
Earlier rescue attempts on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 both failed. Authorities fear the shark could die if temperatures keep falling.
The female shark, nicknamed Bukang-i, was sighted Thursday morning near the canal entrance at Busan’s North Port Waterfront Park. It had crossed a floating barrier late Wednesday, a South Korean English-language daily reported.
It is the second time the shark has breached barriers after a rescue effort.
Authorities declared Wednesday’s operation a success at about 6.10 pm local time (0910GMT). Yet at roughly 11.05 pm (1405GMT), the shark was seen crossing the barrier back into the canal.
Officials are now weighing two options: strengthening the barriers, or capturing the shark and moving it to open waters.
The animal’s repeated returns have baffled authorities, who are increasingly worried about its failing health and the dropping water temperatures. The National Institute of Fisheries Science has not seen Bukang-i feed. Apparent injuries, along with video showing the shark hitting a canal wall, have deepened those concerns.
First spotted on Sept. 18, the shark has become a local draw. More than 1.6 million people had visited as of Sunday, a South Korean news agency reported.
Earlier rescue attempts on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 both failed. Authorities fear the shark could die if temperatures keep falling.
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