After more than a week on the lam, a pet zebra that captivated the internet in Tennessee has been caught, authorities announced Sunday.
Ed the zebra was safely apprehended in a field within the Christiana community of central Tennessee, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. Aviation crews were involved in the capture.
“Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the sheriff’s office stated.
A video released by the sheriff’s office shows Ed secured in a net, his head visible, as he’s transported by helicopter to the trailer.
Authorities noted that Ed arrived in Christiana on May 30th. His owner reported him missing the following day.
Ed had previously been filmed running alongside Interstate 24, leading to a temporary road closure. He subsequently escaped into a wooded area.
Numerous sightings were shared on social media, including footage of Ed trotting through a residential neighborhood.
The zebra quickly became a viral sensation, inspiring various internet memes. One fabricated post depicted Ed dining at a Waffle House, a popular southern US restaurant. Others showed him supposedly visiting different Tennessee cities or panhandling.
The capture of Ed follows a similar incident last month involving a runaway kangaroo that caused the shutdown of a section of an Alabama interstate.
