SOME escapee zebras who have been running loose in Maryland for nearly two weeks – are galloping on highways, spooking drivers and vexing officials.
At least one escapee from a farm was caught crossing a highway.
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ZEBRA CROSSING
A local named Chris Horrell videotaped on such wild beast hoofing it across a street at night, according to a “ZEBRA SIGHTING” tweet posted by WUSA9 producer Jeff Ackerman.
Zebras should not be running at night on roads that are paved, as they may be struck by cars.
“That’s when it can get dangerous and they get on the highway,” Taylor told the station.
“So we don’t want that.”
FEW STILL LOOSE
A few of the loose zebras were lured into an enclosure and sedated by Prince George’s County Animal Control.
At least three zebras have avoided capture and are believed to be roaming around Croom Road and Duley Station Road in Upper Marlboro, Chief Rodney Taylor with Prince George’s County Animal Control told WUSA9.
“They’re very skittish,” Taylor stated. “So if we keep too much movement that’s going to just scare them out even further.”
The herd of the estimated five zebras have been seen roaming together – referred to as a “dazzle.”
They’ve been on the run since slipping away from historic Bellefields Farm off nearby Duley Station Road and owned by a man named Jerry Holly.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, Holly has been granted a license to keep 39 Zebras.
BAIT AND SLEEP
Caretakers have successfully lured some of the zebras to a baited area or feeding station in the woods nearby where they’ve been spotted.
Authorities are utilizing game cameras that have captured images of the animals’ movements specifically between 2am and 4am, Taylor said.
The zebras and placed them in a tight enclosure and then tranquilized after they’re recaptured and then released back to the farm.
THEY KICK AND BITE
Taylor initially warned that while wild zebras will not attack at random, they can be dangerous if provoked.
“They’re not used to being handled by humans, so they will kick. Zebras do bite,” He added.
“So please, if you happen to see them, just give us a call and let us know, but just stay away.”
‘ZEBRA IN OUR BACKYARD’
A local resident spotted one of the zebras grazing in her Upper Marlboro home backyard.
“I thought my mind was playing tricks on me,” Layla Curling spoke to the station.
“Then I went upstairs to tell my mom, ‘There’s a zebra in our backyard.'”
Layla Curling’s parents claimed that they knew of someone who owned the animals, but did not identify this person.
How Holly’s zebras escaped remains a mystery.
POL: ‘I DIDN’T DO IT’
But Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) made sure nobody pointed the finger toward her.
“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 made the statement in a statement.
“My alibi is solid.”
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