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NEED TO KNOW
- A missing pet zebra, who became a viral sensation after going loose in Tennessee on May 31, was safely captured by police on Sunday, June 8
- The animal was “airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
- The missing zebra became the subject of numerous memes amid his adventures on the run
A runaway pet zebra is safely back home after more than a week on the loose.
The animal, named Ed, became an overnight celebrity after he escaped from his new owner in Tennessee on May 31 and was spotted running through residential neighborhoods and on an interstate. After more than a week, the search finally came to an end on Sunday, June 8, when the zebra was captured by aviation crews.
“Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office [RCSO] is happy to report Tango 82 aviation crews located Zebra Ed and returned him to his owner Sunday,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement on Facebook.
Video footage showed the zebra being hoisted up into the air in a net after it was found in a pasture near the Buchanan Estates subdivision near Interstate 24. His legs dangled from the net as it spun in the sky.
“Deputies were on standby for safety of the residents who live nearby. Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the statement added.
The sheriff’s office worked with the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to bring Ed home.
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The animal arrived in Christiana on May 30, and the next morning, his owner — who has not been named — reported him missing.
The runaway zebra was then spotted the following day “wreaking havoc on Interstate 24” near Joe B. Jackson Parkway, RCSO Patrol Lt. Kenneth Barrett confirmed on Facebook at the time.
In response to the animal “running through traffic on both sides of the highway,” deputies closed the interstate over the weekend — before reopening it when the animal “disappeared into the woods.”
Deputy Ryan Keach initially located the animal on the interstate, the RCSO confirmed to PEOPLE.
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
The zebra’s disappearance and subsequent search captured the internet’s attention as he roamed free.
Some people shared sightings of the galloping zebra online, while others created memes featuring the animal.
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According to The Tennessean, it is legal to own a zebra as a pet in Tennessee, which classifies them as Class III animals that do not require any special permits. However, the Library of Congress notes that zebras’ “unpredictable nature and tendency to attack preclude them from being good candidates for domestication.”