A zebra that sprung loose near North Bend, Washington, has garnered internet fame after successfully dodging capture for days on end. The animal, originally part of a quartet, took off when their transporter halted to secure a trailer along Interstate 90 on Sunday. Three of the zebras were soon rounded up, but one — a female now affectionately named by netizens as 'Z' — has maintained her streak of freedom amid the lush backdrops of North Bend's forests, despite being spotted multiple times by local residents and authorities alike.
King County officials have urged the public to keep clear of the trails near Boxley Creek to prevent spooking the wandering zebra, reported KOMO News. The internet, meanwhile, has been lit up with memes and jokes, attributing the zebra with activities ranging from ordering burgers to sitting atop iconic local structures. "However, at this point, RASKC animal control officers are not actively searching for the zebra," said the office according to an email obtained by MyNorthwest. They will continue to respond to credible sightings.
The missing mare, initially misidentified as a stallion, has been captured on film by a resident's trail camera and spotted regularly along the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. Echoing the worries of locals, a resident told KIRO Newsradio, "I have no idea if a cougar would go after a zebra or not, but they definitely go after deer," raising concerns about the potential threats from native predators like cougars and bears that have been known to frequent the area.
Despite the animal control's hands-off approach, reported sightings keep the hope of 'Z's' capture alive. With a non-emergency number in place to report zebra encounters, officials discourage any heroics from the public. "We are definitely discouraging folks from approaching the zebra themselves or attempting to capture it on their own," Cameron Satterfield of RASKC told KIRO Newsradio. This guidance is motivated by concerns for both human and zebra safety.
Officials are keeping the search efforts transparent, promising updates through RASKC's social media platforms. Mayor Mary Miller highlighted her concerns for public safety and the zebra's welfare, stating according to a FOX 13 Seattle interview, "He could be going to Cle Elum by now, he could be up by Rattlesnake, he could be taking a drink out of the lake we don’t know." As the stripes of 'Z' blend into the verdure of North Bend, her game of hide-and-seek inadvertently tightens the community's bond over shared concern and her unexpected celebrity.
