Busan:A shark has been trapped in a canal at a waterfront park in Busan, South Korea, for nearly three weeks, defying various rescue attempts by local authorities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the shark was first seen on September 18 in the narrow canal at Busan's North Port, approximately 330 kilometers south of Seoul. The presence of the shark, affectionately named "Bukang-i" after the port, has significantly increased visitor numbers, with nearly 20,000 people visiting in just two days after its appearance—well above the usual daily average of 2,000 visitors during holidays.
Public interest surged dramatically during the Chuseok holiday, particularly from September 24 to September 27, when an average of 120,750 visitors per day visited the park. By Monday, the total number of visitors had reached 1.02 million, as reported by the Busan city government.
Initial attempts by local maritime police and authorities to drive the shark away from the canal were unsuccessful, leading officials to suspend their operations. Concerned about the shark's stamina if it remained too long in the confined space, the city government initiated a rescue effort with relevant authorities.
On September 29, the Busan Coast Guard and related agencies deployed five vessels to the canal, using water streams to try to guide the shark back to the open sea. Despite these efforts, the shark avoided the water streams, and the operation was abandoned after five hours.
A subsequent rescue attempt on Friday involved a joint team of city and Coast Guard officials. They used a 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net to encourage the shark to move. However, the net became stuck on the canal's bottom, and the shark remained in place. The net was eventually removed, allowing the shark to leave on its own, but it remained in the canal.
The National Institute of Fisheries Science has been monitoring Bukang-i's health daily and has not found any significant health issues with the shark so far.