Celebrity shark returns to South Korea canal after failed rescue
Authorities had hoped the female shark would swim back to sea after being led out of the canal.
Celebrity shark returns to South Korea canal after failed rescue
A well-known dusky shark in South Korea has gone back to the canal where she had been trapped for a month, only a day after authorities said they had successfully escorted her out, local media report.
The shark, called Bukangi, became an unexpected attraction after she was seen lingering in a canal in the south-eastern port city of Busan last month.
South Korea's oceans ministry said on Wednesday evening that they had guided Bukangi out of the canal and into an open harbour - but reports later said the shark had swum back to the canal entrance, apparently after breaking through a barrier set up by authorities.
Another attempt to move Bukangi has been planned for Thursday.
Authorities had tried to lead the shark out of the canal
It is believed Bukangi may have been attracted to the canal by unusually warm waters and an abundance of fish. As the sea grows warmer each year, experts say Busan could host more sharks in the future.
Over recent weeks, more than 1.6 million visitors have gone to a park in Busan to see Bukangi, who was named after the canal where she was found.
Her fame provided a welcome lift to Busan's tourism, and the city has adopted her as an unofficial mascot.
But authorities were also worried about Bukangi's condition, as she seemed injured and was not eating. There were fears she would become even weaker as water temperatures dropped.
During a livestreamed operation on Wednesday, rescue workers spent more than eight hours carefully using a net to guide the three-metre-long (10ft) shark toward open water in a harbour.
Hundreds of enthusiastic fans cheered and waved farewell to their shark, unaware that she would still be in the canal the following day.
Before Wednesday's operation, there had been two earlier unsuccessful attempts to guide Bukangi out of the canal with nets.