Democratic Washington, D.C., Delegate to the House of Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton denied releasing a group of zebras from a Maryland farm in a Friday statement.
“Local news has reported that the zebras were let loose on Saturday or Sunday of last weekend, a period of time during which I was enjoying quiet time at home with family,” she said.
“My alibi is solid,” Norton added, “but given my career of fighting for statehood for the District, which includes years of explaining the importance of having consent of the governed, and given my recent opposition to fences, I can understand why the charge was made. I hope the owners find the zebras and that all involved live long, full lives.”
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton: “Local news has reported that the zebras were let loose on Saturday or Sunday of last weekend, a period of time during which I was enjoying quiet time at home with family,” Norton said. “My alibi is solid.”
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) September 10, 2021
The statement was an apparent reference to her opposition to the fence surrounding the Capitol building, which was erected in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Norton claimed that the extensive security measures were proof that “Congress [is] afraid of its shadow.” (RELATED: Outer Perimeter Fencing Around Capitol Building Taken Down)
It is unclear who accused Norton of releasing the zebras.
The six zebras escaped from a private farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, around Aug. 31, Prince George’s County Animal Control chief Rodney Taylor told The Washington Post on Wednesday. Neighbors have reported multiple sightings of the zebras, although none have been caught.
The zebras are very skittish, Taylor explained, making them difficult to recapture.
“If you build a corral area all at once, they’re very sensitive, and they won’t come there to eat. So you have to put up a few panels at a time,” he said. “They are zebras, so they’re not handled by people a lot, so to defend themselves they could bite.”