South Korea’s celebrity shark returns to canal hours after rescue

An endangered dusky shark that had been trapped in a canal in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan for more than a month returned hours after authorities guided it out to sea, local media reported Thursday.

The female shark, nicknamed Bukang-i, was spotted Thursday morning near the entrance to the canal at Busan's North Port Waterfront Park after crossing a floating barrier late Wednesday, according to The Korea Herald.

It was the second time the shark had slipped past barriers following rescue attempts.

Authorities had declared Wednesday's operation successful at around 6.10 pm local time (0910GMT), but the shark was seen crossing the barrier again at around 11.05 pm (1405GMT).

Officials are considering reinforcing the barriers or capturing the shark and transporting it to open waters.

The shark's repeated returns have puzzled authorities, who remain concerned about its deteriorating health and falling water temperatures.

The National Institute of Fisheries Science has not observed Bukang-i feeding, while apparent injuries and footage showing it striking a canal wall have raised further concerns.

First spotted on Sept. 18, the shark has become a local attraction, drawing more than 1.6 million visitors as of Sunday, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Previous rescue attempts on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 failed. Authorities fear the shark could die if temperatures continue to fall.