Police and locals teamed up on Sunday to capture four zebras on the loose on the eastern outskirts of Seattle, Washington.
Trooper Rick Johnson, public information officer for Washington State Patrol District 2 in King County, posted pictures of three of the zebras roaming free on Interstate 90 near the North Bend exit. Authorities, with the help of some local residents, wrangled all but one of the striped animals, according to NBC News.
This is a first for me and all @wastatepatrol troopers involved. 4 Zebras that were being transported got loose when the driver stopped to secure the trailer EB 90 to exit 32. The community has come together to help. One cornered, 3 outstanding. Crazy!! pic.twitter.com/8lF75tnbyZ
— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) April 28, 2024
Local resident, Jon-Erick Anes, told NBC affiliate King 5 he thought someone was playing an elaborate prank on him.
“They just started hanging out in the grass in somebody’s yard across the street,” said Anes.
The King County Sheriff’s Office was called at 12:52 p.m. regarding the runaway zebras. Incidentally, a rodeo clown was passing by, and helped coral the zebras, reported KOMO.
“They had a rodeo clown who was on his way, I guess to a rodeo, and they were using him to help corral,” resident Whitney Blomquist told KOMO. “We got zebras on the loose, we’ve got a rodeo clown. I’m like, ‘Cool, we’ve officially turned into a zoo here.’”
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as four zebras lead state troopers and police officers on a chase after escaping when their driver stopped to secure the trailer.”⁰
📌#NorthBend | #Washington⁰
Watch as law enforcement and state troopers go on a zebra pursuit after four privately owned zebras… pic.twitter.com/MBiBaXPSjW— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 28, 2024
One individual posted a video on Facebook of one of the zebras, adding: “I can now add zebra wrangler to my resume.”
King County Animal Control states that all but one of the zebras have been captured and that anyone who sees it should report its whereabouts, according to NBC News. (RELATED: Seven Beaches Close After Brutal Shark Attack In Popular Vacation Spot)