Busan officials successfully guided a three-meter female dusky shark, known as Bukangi, out to sea on Wednesday. The animal had been trapped in a South Korean canal for over a month, drawing massive crowds to the North Port area.
The kilometer-long push using oars and floating platforms
The successful rescue on Wednesday involved a complex maneuvering of a large floating platform through the Busan canal. This successful third attempt follows previous failed efforts on September 29 and October 2, which involved using boats to spray water and placing nets across the waterway. As reported by The Associated Press, the shark had previously managed to swim over nets and avoid boats during those earlier attempts.
The final rescue operation required a painstaking manual effort to move the animal through the North Port Waterfront Park. Workers used a large floating platform, maneuvering it about one kilomeer toward the mouth of the canal. Dozens of workers on the banks pulled ropes to drag the structure forward, while those on the platform used oars to push Bukangi back whenever she approached the wrong direction.
How Bukangi became a mascot for 1.7 million visitors
The presence of the shark in the Busan canal turned a local waterway into a massive tourist destination. According to the report, the shark's fins slicing through the water attracted more than 1.7 million visitors who came to witness the unusual sight.
Busan officials even embraced the situation, officially naming Bukangi as a city mascot. Following the successful release, Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo shared his sentiments on Facebook, stating that the city would never forget the public interest shown in Bukangi and the waters of Busan.
The threat of starvation and falling water temperatures
While the crowds were drawn to the spectacle, marine experts raised serious alarms regarding the shark's biological welfare . The report notes that Bukangi had shown no signs of feeding during her month-long confinement in the canal.
In addition to the lack of nutrition,the environmental condiions in the South Korean port city were becoming increasingly dangerous. experts warned that falling water temperatures posed a significant health risk to the three-meter dusky shark as she remained trapped in the restricted area.
The mystery of Bukangi's current location near the pier
Despite the successful herding of the shark, her exact status in the open ocean remains unverified. The Yonhap news agency reported that the shark was seen at a neary pier, but it is not yet clear how far she has traveled from the canal.
The long-term survival of Bukangi depends on whether she can recover from the stress of her month-long ordeal. While she is no longer trapped in the North Port, the question of whether she can successfully reintegrate into the wild remains an open question for local authorities.
Comments 0