Ladies and gentlemen, they got them.
After almost four months on the run, the zebras that escaped from a farm and were roaming loose in suburban Maryland have been returned to the herd.
The three escaped zebras were part of a 39 animal herd that had been relocated to the Maryland farm in August. The farm owner has been identified as Jerry Holly, yet reasons for why he had so many zebras on his property have not been determined as the animals were not part of a zoo or other public exhibit.
It was determined, however, that he possessed the proper permits to own the animals.
The zebras, which reportedly escaped during the unloading process, were on the run for weeks before news finally broke that they were on the loose (although motorists had already reported spotting the zebras roaming around).
While on the loose, the zebras were even caught on video several times – so it’s not like they were doing all that great of a job at hiding.
And a member of Congress even issued a bizarre statement for some reason providing an alibi and denying the (nonexistent) rumors that she set the zebras free.
The story then took a tragic turn when one of the zebras was found dead, ensnared in an illegal trap on private property owned by the Girl Scouts about 20 miles southeast of DC. The Girl Scouts said that the snare trap had been set by a trespasser. (Good to know that’s not one of the badges required by the Girl Scouts).
And while all this was going on, we were learning more about the farm from which the zebra escaped, including the fact that another zebra from Holly’s herd had recently been found deceased on the property.
This led authorities to file animal cruelty charges against Holly, charges which he vigorously denied.
Officials worked with Holly to attempt to bring the roaming zebras back home, including what seems like a slightly hairbrained scheme that involved placing two MORE zebras from the herd in an open area surrounded by a hidden corral in an attempt to lure the escapees back in.
So yeah, it’s been quite the saga.
But now, the story of the two remaining zebras out on the town has finally come to an end, after authorities announced that they had been returned to the herd.
No details were given about how they were captured, or whether they just showed up back at the ranch after their adventure, but officials with the USDA and the Prince George’s County Animal Services both say they weren’t involved in the capture or return of the zebras.
I’ve gotta admit, it’s a little bit of an anti-climactic ending for such a long, strange saga. Personally I was hoping that this would be like some kind of “Tom and Jerry” skit where the zebras manage to keep barely eluding the authorities chasing them, all the while enjoying their newfound freedom and providing a source of entertainment for everybody at the same time.
And it seems like quite a few people in the area were rooting for the zebras too.
But alas, it wasn’t meant to be, and the striped beasts have been returned to the farm.
Unless they just came back to tell their friends what they’ve been missing on the outside and try to bust the rest of them out too.
