The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office requested help locating an escaped zebra earlier Monday.

On Saturday, the pet traipsed across Interstate 24 in Rutherford County, kicking off a multi-day search for the exotic animal. The owner arrived at the scene Saturday and chased the zebra into the nearby woods, the sheriff’s department said.

Deputy Ryan Keach shut down one lane of the interstate at first, but when the animal decided to cross, deputies shut down both east and westbound lanes — which have since reopened. The zebra managed to evade capture and continue its journey into Monday.

The Sheriff’s Office reported in a Facebook post that the owner brought the zebra home Friday night before its Saturday escape. 

“The zebra scampered through a subdivision on Epps Mill Road near Rankin Drive and Aldridge Drive and Cliffside Drive before entering Interstate 24 near the Buchanan Road exit,” Public Information Officer Lisa Marchesoni said. 

The quest took the equine a little over ten miles south of MTSU, towards Christiana but its current whereabouts remain unknown.

The Sheriff’s department announced Monday afternoon that it would employ K9 teams to track down the 400-plus-pound animal after the owner told dispatch it was still on the loose. 

The Sheriff’s Office warned of potential “havoc” caused by the zebra, but it has remained elusive, like a gazelle running from an injured cheetah. 

An updated press release Monday afternoon stated that a K9 search is scheduled for Tuesday, and “several professional tracking groups” are working to find the animal. Owning a zebra is legal in Tennessee under current state law. 

Videos of the zebra running alongside cars circulated online, prompting some local institutions, like MTSU, to churn out memes. 

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office requested that sightings be reported at 615-898-7770.

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