Seattle/ Parks & Nature
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Published on May 04, 2024
North Bend's "Z" the Zebra Captured After Week-Long Foothills Frolic, Ready for Montana MoveSource: Unsplash / Jeff Griffith

After six days of hoofing it through the suburbs of North Bend, Washington, the wayward zebra that busted out of a busted trailer has been corralled. Four zebras originally made a break for it on April 28, but only one, dubbed “Z”, managed to give authorities the slip, leading to an almost week-long wild goose chase, FOX 13 Seattle reported.

The escaped zebra became a local sensation with its picture splashed across social media, featuring in memes and being photoshopped into Seattle landmarks; however, life imitated art when "Z" was finally spotted in a wooded area in the Riverbend neighborhood, and with the help of residents, was captured on May 3, King County Regional Animal Services (RASKC) was grateful to report that, "The zebra seems to be in good condition despite her nearly week-long adventure in the woods," FOX 13 Seattle captured the moment.

The three other zebras’ adventure was short-lived, quickly corralled in a pasture, but "Z" had other plans and hopped a fence leading to this extended escapade through the Cascade mountain foothills; picture it—a zebra, free from confinement, bounding over fences with the grace of a track star clearing hurdles, evading capture like a master thief disappearing into the night. Authorities even went so far as to close trail access points along the Snoqualmie Valley Trail in the Boxley Creek Natural Area, where "Z" was known to trot, KOMO News reported.

The striped runner and its three compatriots were en route to a petting zoo in Montana, hailing originally from Winlock, Washington when they collectively gave their transport the slip-on that fateful Sunday afternoon, it turned into not just a local, but also an online, spectacle; "Z" is now set to complete her journey to Montana, back within the comforting enclosure of a secure trailer, far from the fleeting freedom of the open roads and riverside trails of North Bend, KOMO News detailed the animal's planned transport to the Big Sky country.