One of the three zebras that escaped from Jyllands Park Zoo last week remained at large for four days. Finally, it was found – in the middle of a herd of cows.
Three zebras escaped from Jyllands Park Zoo on Wednesday. Two were quickly found by staff, but the third was still on the loose.
On Saturday afternoon, livestock owner Anna Mørch went out to check on her cows. Everything seemed calm until she heard them bellowing unusually loudly. When she turned around, she was met with an unexpected sight – a zebra was standing and eating alongside her cows.
– I just wondered: Where did it come from? I have no idea, Mørch told Danish TVMV.
Mørch lives in the small town of Vorgod in western Jutland. In other words, the zebra had traveled about a mile from the zoo. She immediately called the zoo and announced that the missing zebra had been found.
– My first thought was to just call, and it was only afterwards that I realized how strange it was to see a zebra standing there, she says.
Capturing the zebra proved to be a challenge. When zoo staff arrived, it sensed trouble and tried to escape. With a top speed of 65 kilometers per hour, quick action was required, but eventually the zebra was stunned with a tranquilizer gun.
Hoof broke the lock
The zebra, a mare, escaped with two others after a new stallion was introduced to the herd. During a fight, one of the zebra’s hooves hit the lock of the enclosure, opening the gate. The zoo has now installed a new, heavier lock.
– The entire fence has been inspected. All the gates have been checked and we have installed a new lock – a slightly heavier lock. It should not be able to happen again, says Sofie Hansen to the state channel DR.