After a week at large, a pet zebra named Ed is back at its Tennessee home. The zebra (and officials’ rescue of the runaway animal) created quite a stir on the internet. It evaded capture several times over the course of its week of freedom, and then multiple people witnessed the rescue and recorded it.
The footage of a zebra hanging from a helicopter is quite absurd. Local Nashville-based News Channel 5 shared a video of the zebra’s being placed in front of a waiting trailer. Footage from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office shows the zebra slowly spinning in its sling/net as it flies through the air.
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Prior to his dramatic rescue, Ed had some fun. He went for a jog along Interstate 24, forcing a road closure, according to NPR, but he escaped into a wilderness area. Ed then showed up in unexpected places and became an internet meme.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office called Zebra Ed a “celebrity.” The office confirmed his humane capture and safe return to his owner on Facebook.
“Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office is happy to report Tango 82 aviation crews located Zebra Ed and returned him to his owner Sunday,” the sheriff’s office said in a post. “Ed was located in a pasture located near the Buchanan Estates subdivision near Interstate 24.”
See footage of Ed the runaway zebra and his dramatic rescue in Tennessee here:
After a week of searching, officials finally located and rescued Ed, the pet zebra that escaped from its home in Rutherford Co.#zebra #ED #edthezebra #rescued pic.twitter.com/vunbXbENKx
— NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) June 8, 2025
Here is the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office’s footage:
Header stock image by Anup Shah/Getty Images