Video posted by the sheriff’s office shows Ed wrapped in a net with his head sticking out as the helicopter carries him to the trailer.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — After more than a week on the loose and becoming an internet sensation, a runaway pet zebra named Ed was safely captured Sunday in central Tennessee, authorities announced.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that aviation crews located Ed in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana community. The zebra was then airlifted by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer.
Video shared by the sheriff’s office shows Ed securely wrapped in a net, with his head peeking out as he is carefully carried by the helicopter to the trailer.
Ed first arrived in Christiana on May 30, and his owner reported him missing the following day. The zebra gained widespread attention after being spotted and filmed running along Interstate 24, which forced deputies to temporarily shut down the roadway. Ed then escaped into a wooded area, sparking numerous sightings and videos shared on social media, including footage of him trotting through a neighborhood.
The runaway zebra quickly captured the public’s imagination, inspiring a wave of internet memes. One popular fake post humorously showed Ed dining at a Waffle House, a beloved southern restaurant chain, while others jokingly placed him visiting different Tennessee cities or even panhandling by the roadside.
Ed’s adventurous escape comes just a month after a runaway kangaroo caused a traffic shutdown on an interstate in Alabama, highlighting the unexpected challenges posed by escaped exotic animals in the region.