In Prince George County, Maryland, five escaped zebras escaped from the farm where they live in the Washington D.C. suburb. Five of the 39 zebras are traveling as a trio and then a separate pair.
According to the New York Times, the zebras were on the lam since August 31 from the Upper Marlboro, Md. private farm, about 20 miles from Washington. It wasn’t known how they got loose, but they were part of a dazzle (or zeal) and arrived at the farm two weeks prior after having been purchased from an auction in Florida.
The owner of the farm has a license from the United States Department of Agriculture to keep zebras. The farm also has a wide range of other wild animals including a spider monkey, dromedaries, mandrills, red kangaroos, brown lemurs, capybaras and gibbons. It is not known why the animals are there or if the owner sells them.
Zebras are not dangerous unless someone tries to approach or corner them, but they will bite and area residents are encouraged to stay away from them. The farm continues to try and trap the animals at a feeding station they set up where the animals have been spotted on video cameras.
Farm personnel have been installing paneling around the station with a gate and tripwire to capture the zebras safely. After they are corralled, they will be tranquilized and returned to the farm.
It has been emphasized that authorities are not trying to hunt the zebras – they just want to get them safely back to the farm.
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