For a whole week, Ed the Zebra was on the run, having escaped his owner’s enclosure.
The hunt for the mischievous zebra was a long one, causing some stress to the owners. Wildlife experts, police, and of course, his owners looked high and low for the striped convict. The hunt went far and wide, with some claimed sightings of him. The escaped zebra became the subject of local memes, with many picturing it enjoying the local attractions.
“Through viral posts, news coverage, and thousands of messages, he became known as Ed the Zebra. And now, he will be forever known as Ed — a symbol of joy, laughter, and unity,” the family that owns the runaway animal has said.
A day after they brought Ed home, he broke out. He was seen running down the side of a road before disappearing into a wooded area. For a week, he remained on the run, having the time of his life. However, when he was spotted in a field, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office moved in.
Ed The Zebra Airlifted To Safety
After he had been spotted, the local sheriff’s office made their move and issued a statement to the concerned public. “Sheriff’s Cpl. Sean White has asked people to avoid the area. ‘We don’t want to scare the zebra,’ White said. ‘We need time to get him to calm down.'”
So, they called in a veterinarian, and they managed to herd the escaped Ed the Zebra into a waiting airlift bag. He was then carried by helicopter to a horse box. The hilarious video shows the rather confused animal with its head sticking out of the airborne transport.
“Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the sheriff’s office informed people. “This has been a long, stressful week, and I am so happy that it ended the way it did and no one got hurt,” Ed’s owner, Laura Ford, said to CBS News.
Ed the Zebra is now safely back where he’s supposed to be, on Ford’s ranch. I expect they will keep a close eye on him, but he will never forget that brief taste of freedom.