Bukang-i is back: famous shark returns to canal in South Korea hours after being coaxed out to sea
A 3.5-metre-long female dusky shark nicknamed Bukang-i has returned to a South Korean canal just hours after workers attempted to guide it back to sea.
The shark, which became a viral sensation after getting stuck in the waterway on 18 September, was first spotted back in the canal on Thursday morning. Authorities had used nets fixed to floating pontoons to guide the shark free on Wednesday, but it dived beneath a net and returned overnight.
The shark is now between the outer net and an inner net installed 30 to 40 meters further inside the canal, according to an oceans ministry official. A fresh attempt to free Bukang-i was under way on Thursday morning after two previous attempts using water jets and nets had failed.
Cultural phenomenon
As each rescue attempt failed, the shark amassed a huge following, drawing more than 1.6 million people to the canal for a glimpse. The affection for Bukang-i has become an industry, with a commemorative soju, a baseball mascot in a shark cape and an honorary city ambassadorship, while nearby shops reported a surge in sales.
The shark is now between the outer net and an inner net installed 30 to 40 metres ... further inside the canal
Environmental concerns
Environmental groups have linked the shark's appearance in the canal to warming seas, saying rising temperatures are pushing warm-water fish northwards, with subtropical sharks following in pursuit. The fisheries institute recorded 46 large sharks off the east coast in the first half of this year, nearly four times as many as a year earlier, attributing this to warmer seas and more of the fish that sharks feed on.
Related
