MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – A pet zebra that had been on the run for over a week in Tennessee, gaining internet fame along the way, was finally captured on Sunday, according to authorities.
Ed the Zebra was safely apprehended after being found in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana area in central Tennessee, as confirmed by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. The office stated that aviation units were responsible for capturing the zebra.
“Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Video posted by the sheriff’s office shows Ed wrapped in a net with his head sticking out as he is carried by the helicopter to the trailer.
Ed arrived in Christiana on May 30, the sheriff’s office said. His owner reported him missing the next day.
The zebra was spotted and filmed running along Interstate 24, forcing deputies to shut the roadway. But Ed escaped into a wooded area.
There were several sightings posted to social media. Ed was filmed trotting through a neighborhood.
The zebra swiftly became a meme sensation online. One parody post depicted Ed dining at a Waffle House, a staple in the southern U.S. Other memes humorously suggested he was visiting various Tennessee cities or asking for change by the roadside.
The pursuit of Ed came a month after a runway kangaroo shut down a section of Alabama interstate.
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