Bukkang returns to the canal

Bukkang, a shark that has been staying in the North Port waterfront park in Busan, returned to the canal after rescue teams tried to guide it out to sea. The animal was spotted at around noon on October 3, inside a large net that had been placed the previous day near the canal’s outlet.

The net was intended to act as a barrier and a guide, directing Bukkang toward the sea rather than allowing it to swim back into the park’s waterways. Instead, the shark appears to have found an opening and made its way back into the canal.

The attempt did not keep Bukkang outside: the shark was later seen between the park’s fourth and fifth pedestrian bridges.

How the rescue attempt unfolded

On October 2, Busan Coast Guard personnel and other response teams began an operation near the park’s fourth pedestrian bridge. They used a net 50 meters long and 6.8 meters high, pulling it toward the sixth bridge, which is closer to the sea, in an effort to steer the shark out of the canal.

The operation ran into difficulties when the net caught on the canal bed. Responders also observed that Bukkang was not moving out toward the sea, so they stopped pulling the net and fixed it in place about 100 meters inside the canal outlet.

The teams expected the barrier to prevent the shark from swimming back into the inner waterway. But a net can only block an animal if it reaches the bottom and sides without gaps; the account indicates that Bukkang was able to get through an opening and return inside.

Why a net can be difficult to use in a canal

A canal is a confined stretch of water, but it is not necessarily a simple space to block. Its floor may be uneven, and a net that catches on the bottom can leave gaps or become difficult to move. In practical terms, it is like trying to close a doorway with a curtain that does not reach the floor: an opening may remain even when the barrier looks large.

The account does not specify exactly where or how Bukkang passed the net. It does, however, say that the shark returned to the canal after the net was fixed in place, suggesting the barrier did not fully prevent movement between the outlet and the inner waterway.

Where Bukkang was seen

As of October 3, the shark was in the stretch of canal between the fourth and fifth pedestrian bridges. That location is within the waterfront park, where visitors can watch the water from paths and bridges.

Bukkang’s presence has drawn public attention during recent rescue efforts. In earlier attempts, response teams used boats and water streams to encourage the shark to move away from the canal, but the animal remained in the area. The latest effort was designed to guide it toward the sea with a physical barrier instead.

The report does not identify the shark’s species, explain how it entered the canal, or provide a reason for its apparent reluctance to leave. Those details should not be assumed from the fact that it has stayed in the park’s waterways.

Holiday crowds prompt more patrols

Busan Facilities Corporation and other relevant agencies planned to increase patrols during the October 3 National Foundation Day holiday period, anticipating that more people might visit to see Bukkang. The shark’s visibility in a public park creates a challenge for both crowd management and the ongoing effort to move it safely.

Visitors should keep to designated public areas, avoid entering the water, and follow instructions from on-site staff. Keeping people away from the canal edge can help responders work and reduce the risk of someone approaching an unfamiliar wild animal too closely.

  • Current reported location: between the fourth and fifth pedestrian bridges.
  • Barrier used: a net 50 meters long and 6.8 meters high.
  • Operational difficulty: the net caught on the canal bed, and Bukkang later returned inside.
  • Next reported measure: increased patrols during the holiday period.

What happens next

The failed barrier attempt shows that moving a wild animal through a narrow waterway can be more complicated than simply placing a net across its route. The teams’ next steps will depend on conditions at the canal, the animal’s movements, and whether a barrier can be positioned without leaving a route back into the park.

For now, the confirmed update is that Bukkang remains in the canal, not that it has been returned to the open sea. Further monitoring and careful crowd control are likely to remain important while responders assess how to proceed.