Black, White, and Fled: Zebras Escape Transport, Corralled by Rodeo Clown
Some Washington state motorists and residents were treated to a private zoo visit from some outlaws wearing stripes: A herd of escaped zebras.
By Katie Compa · May 1, 2024
Some motorists and residents near North Bend, Washington, were treated to a surprise immersive zoo experience when four zebras escaped their highway transport and roamed free.
The zebras’ owner, Kristine Keltgen, was driving from Washington, where she had just collected the striped equine quadrupeds from a private home (local Washington State sleuths: please find out which of your neighbors had pet zebras and inform your local media!) to Anaconda, Montana, where she and her son operate a petting zoo. When she pulled over to fix a loose part on the trailer, the zebras saw their chance and seized it.
Passing motorists worked together to protect the creatures from a traffic accident using their cars. The striped crusaders ran the other way, absconding into a neighborhood—much to the chagrin of its HOA committee, we are certain.
Three of the herd were eventually tracked down as they grazed in a local woman’s backyard. Luckily, both the surprised resident and the Tiger-King-style Zebra Mom received help from the exact right person, according to the New York Times: David Danton, a former rodeo clown, and his wife Julie, who happened to be passing through town on his way home after a cattle drive. To hear Danton tell it, it’s not that hard to rope a zebra on short notice.
The yard zebras were eventually captured with Danton’s help; the whereabouts of the fourth zebra, a stallion, remain unconfirmed at our time of publication, over 24 hours after the incident. Just an idea, but has anyone checked the town’s crosswalks?
With the exception of the missing stallion, the brouhaha was resolved relatively quickly, especially compared with—if you can believe it—previous zebra escapes. In Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County, Maryland, five zebras escaped a private farm and were on the loose for over four months, living their best lives until they were captured and returned to the herd (except one, who died when the farm owner, local septuagenarian Jerry Lee Holly, set up an illegal snare trap; he was subsequently charged with animal cruelty).
Neighbors in the area have come together to offer assistance in finding the missing zebra, who may be disoriented at his newfound freedom. We’re sending our thoughts, prayers, and some carrots to lure the wayward banded baddie back home.