As if bachelorettes aren’t bad enough…
Nashville has enough wild animals running around without throwing actual wildlife in the mix. But now there’s another animal on the loose just south of Music City.
Over the weekend, a pet zebra broke loose in Rutherford County, Tennessee, even forcing officials to shut down the interstate at one point when the animal was spotted running down the busy highway.
@katieshull “Why is everyone stopped suddenly on the interstate?” “There’s a zebra running on the side of the road.” ……😮
According to a witness, they couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the zebra on the interstate:
“This zebra pops up out of nowhere. We had to do a double-take. Like, is that a zebra?”
As it turns out, the zebra’s owner got the pet from a breeder in Texas and brought it home on Friday – just the day before it was reported missing. The owner believes that either the neighbors had messed with the animal, or cattle stomped on the fence to allow the zebra to escape.
@abc7chicago Cameras captured a pet zebra as it escaped from its owner’s home. A highway was briefly shut down after the striped animal bolted through traffic. #news #worldnews #zebra
There have been several sightings of the zebra since it escaped, but as of this evening the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office says the animal is still on the loose:
“The owner of the missing zebra just notified the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office dispatch the animal remains at large Monday afternoon.
Several professional tracking groups are involved in the search and a K9 search is scheduled Tuesday.”
The animal’s owner also has a team of drones and other devices that are searching the area, and you’d think a zebra would stand out but the area just outside of Nashville is pretty rural so it’s no surprise the zebra has eluded capture.
Of course the natural question is: Who in the world has a pet zebra? But surprisingly, it’s actually perfectly legal in Tennessee to own a zebra with the proper permits, if necessary. Zebras are considered a Class III species and regulated by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. (Fun fact: Other Class III species include kangaroos, camels, giraffes and bison).
Naturally, the word of a zebra on the loose in the Nashville area has led to a ton of zebra memes:
Now, it should go without saying, but if you happen to spot the zebra running around Rutherford County while you’re in the area for CMA Fest, you shouldn’t try to approach or pet it. Zebras are unable to be domesticated, and are “unpredictable and are known to attack people.”
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first zebra that’s been on the loose in Middle Tennessee either. Back in 2021, a zebra escaped a livestock auction and wreaked havoc in Cookeville, with an elementary school even being forced to issue a warning to parents.
That zebra ended up getting tased and (understandably) agitated, but officials were eventually able to corner it in a transport trailer and get it safely back home.
For now though, the zebra in Rutherford County is still on the loose. And chances are it’s probably made it to Broadway by now, just hanging out with the drunk tourists who probably wouldn’t even notice if a zebra walked by them.
Hopefully they’re able to catch it soon and bring it safely home. Hopefully the owner gets a better fence though…
