Four Zebras Escape From Trailer on Washington State Highway

Incident Date:
05/01/2024
Location:
North Bend, WA - USA
Facility Name:
Facility Type:
Exotic Pet (E)
Incident Category:
Escape of animal (EA)
Species:
Other
Animal:
Zebra
Animal disposition:
Recaptured

Summary:

North Bend, WA – Four zebras escaped from a trailer on a highway in Washington state on Sunday, leading to a community effort to track down and corral them. So far, three of the zebras have been recaptured, but one remains on the loose.

The trailer driver, Kristine Keltgen, tells the New York Times’ Michael Levenson that she was transporting the zebras from a farm in Washington, where she purchased them, to a petting zoo she owns in Montana. While she was driving, the latch holding the trailer doors came undone. When Keltgen noticed the problem, she pulled over on a highway exit to fix it. But with the vehicle stopped, the zebras escaped. The zebras then ran towards nearby neighborhoods in North Bend, Washington.

Coincidentally, a former rodeo bullfighter happened to be driving in the area at the time, along with his wife, a horse trainer. The couple helped capture two of the zebras by constructing a makeshift pen from ropes, metal panels, and a garden hose, which they used to shepherd the the zebras into the trailer.

A third zebra, which was a juvenile, was corralled on another road, and the three rescued zebras have been transported to Montana. The fourth, however, remains on the loose, according to the Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC).

Action take by Born Free USA:

Notes: