Plodprasop Suraswadi, director of the management office of the Night Safari Park Project, said that the wolf was not dangerous because it had been born in captivity in the Czech Republic. He pleaded with local residents not to hurt the wolf and said a Bt10,000 reward would be given to anyone who captured it alive.

The wolf fled from captivity around a month ago and is now hiding in a government-owned forest area at the foot of Doi Suthep.

The wolf, which has been taking poultry from farms, was last spotted at 1am yesterday by a group of hiding villagers, who continued to hunt it until 4am.

Plodprasop said officials were hoping to shoot the wolf with a tranquilliser dart as soon as the correct dosage was calculated by experts. Forestry officials and villagers had earlier been using only nets, traps and baited cages in their attempts to capture it.

He said the zoo had not announced beforehand that the wolf was on the loose because it was not dangerous. "I am even worried that it could starve to death if the search stops it from hunting," he added.

Pol Lt-General Phanuphong Singhara na Ayutthaya, chief of Provincial Police Region 5, whose jurisdiction covers Chiang Mai, said anyone who injured or killed the wolf in defence of themselves or their family would be immune from any charge of destruction of government property.

The zoo will also be responsible civilly if the wolf attacks anyone or criminally if it attacks anyone and it can be proved that it escaped from captivity as a result of zoo officials' carelessness, he said.