Zebra escapes from US ranch, gets sent back by helicopter after 9 days of chaos

Zebra escapes from ranch in the US for 9 days

On 31 May, a cunning zebra escaped a ranch in Christiana, Tennessee, sending the internet into a frenzy.

The zebra, nicknamed ‘Ed’ by netizens, was “obtained” by a couple named Taylor and Laura Ford that evening, only for the equid to run away the next day.

However, it was not revealed exactly how or why the zebra escaped.

In the days that followed, the zebra was spotted in various neighbourhoods. It even reportedly ran through traffic on both sides of a road, prompting the authorities to close a major highway.

After wreaking havoc, Ed disappeared into a wooded area and had to be tracked by law enforcement officers with a drone.

Zebra gets captured & airlifted by helicopter

On Sunday (8 June), Ed was finally captured in a field through a joint operation by the police, highway patrol officers, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

“Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office shared in a Facebook post.

Officers were also on standby for the safety of residents living nearby.

Footage from the rescue showed the zebra wrapped in netting with its head poking out.

Owners rename zebra ‘Ed’

While the zebra was safely rescued, Ed sparked a bunch of AI-generated memes while it was on the loose for nine days, including one that depicts it attending a country music festival.

The adventurous equid even inspired individuals to write a song about it and design a cake in its image.

The viral posts ultimately urged the owners, who originally named the zebra “Zeke”, to rename him “Ed”.