A runaway pet zebra has returned home in style after going missing for a week.
The animal, named Ed, became an internet sensation after he escaped from his new owner in Tennessee last week and was spotted running through neighbourhoods.
On Sunday, June 8, the zebra was captured by an aviation crew, marking an end to the search operations.
Video footage has been making headlines of the zebra being lifted up into the air in a net after it was found in a pasture near the Buchanan Estates subdivision near Interstate 24.
In the viral clip, his legs hilariously dangled from the net as the helicopter spun in the sky.
The Sheriff’s office shared in an official statement on social media, “Deputies were on standby for safety of the residents who live nearby. Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer.”
Notably, the sheriff’s office worked with the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to bring Ed home.
Zebras as pets: Legal or not?
According to The Tennessean, it is legal to own a zebra as a pet in Tennessee, which classifies them as Class III animals that do not require any special permits.
However, the Library of Congress shares that zebras’ “unpredictable nature” prevents them from being the ideal animal to keep as pets.
