Watch: Runaway zebra still on the loose after shutting down Tennessee interstate
The zebra was obtained by its new owners in Rutherford County on Friday night and then escaped into a nearby wooded area the following day.
Runaway zebra still on the loose after shutting down Tennessee interstate
A runaway zebra remains missing after the animal escaped its new home on Saturday and was spotted running through traffic southeast of Nashville.
CHRISTIANA, Tenn. – Drivers southeast of Nashville were seeing black and white over the weekend, as a pet zebra escaped from its home and began running toward a major interstate.
As of Tuesday morning, the striped animal was still at-large, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office told FOX Weather.
The zebra was obtained by its new owners in Rutherford County on Friday night and then escaped into a nearby wooded area the following day.
The animal was spotted running through traffic on both sides of Interstate 24 near Exit 84 for Joe B. Jackson Parkway, causing deputies to temporarily shut down the interstate on Saturday.
At-large zebra runs along the side of the road in the Middle Tennessee town of Christiana on Saturday. (Danielle Pitre / TMX / FOX Weather)
In a video shot that same day, the zebra was spotted several miles southwest of the Joe B. Jackson Parkway, running along a small road in rural Christiana, Tennessee.
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The zebra can be seen hoofing it on the grassy shoulder before it appears to nearly trip over itself on the asphalt.
"Oh no!" says the woman shooting the video, as the zebra stumbles before then crossing into the road.
The animal appears to nearly trip over itself as it runs on the shoulder of the road. (Danielle Pitre / TMX / FOX Weather)
Authorities on Tuesday noted that several tracking groups, along with a K-9 unit, are part of the search efforts.
Anyone who has spotted the zebra or has information on its whereabouts is encouraged to notify Rutherford County law enforcement officials at (625) 898-7777 option 3, according to the sheriff’s office.
It's the second time in about a year an escaped pet zebra has made headlines after a dayslong search. It took authorities five days to track down and corral a zebra that escaped a trailer on an interstate east of Seattle in May 2024.
Zebras are native to sub-Saharan Africa, where they tend to live in open savannas and grasslands, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said.