A runaway pet zebra that was on the loose for more than a week and became an internet sensation in the process has been found.

Ed the Zebra was safely captured after being found in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana community in central Tennessee, as confirmed by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. According to the sheriff’s office, aviation crews 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 showed Ed wrapped in a net with his head sticking out as he was 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 neighbourhood.

The zebra swiftly turned into the focus of internet memes. One spoof post depicted Ed dining at a Waffle House, a well-known southern establishment. Other memes showed him visiting different Tennessee cities or panhandling along the roadside.

The pursuit of Ed came a month after a runway kangaroo shut down a section of Alabama interstate.