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South Korean Officials Struggle to Free Trapped Shark in Busan Canal
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News18•21-10-2026, 15:45
South Korean Officials Struggle to Free Trapped Shark in Busan Canal
- •South Korean officials worked for hours to free a 3-metre-long dusky shark trapped in a Busan canal for over a month.
- •The shark, nicknamed Bukangi, became a major tourist attraction and city mascot, drawing over 1.6 million visitors.
- •Wednesday's rescue attempt used a floating platform to guide the shark toward the open sea, but it remained at the canal mouth by evening.
- •Experts have expressed concern over the shark's health due to a lack of feeding and falling water temperatures.
- •Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo stated that officials will continue efforts to ensure the shark's safe return to nature.
Key Questions Answered
A huge 3-metre-long female dusky shark, nicknamed Bukangi, has been trapped for more than a month in a canal located in the port city of Busan, South Korea. The shark was first spotted in mid-September and has since become a major tourist attraction and city mascot.
Officials made multiple rescue attempts, including using boats to spray streams of water, placing nets across the narrow waterway, and maneuvering a large floating platform with workers using oars and ropes to herd the animal toward the open sea.
Experts have raised health concerns because the shark has shown no signs of feeding during its monthlong stay in the canal, and falling water temperatures pose additional risks to its survival.
