Ed the zebra, a pet who captured hearts and headlines after escaping in late May, has finally been found and returned home safely. Ed had been missing for over a week, during which he was spotted in neighbourhoods and even near a busy highway.
Authorities confirmed that Ed was captured on Sunday in a pasture near a neighbourhood in Christiana, Tennessee. A helicopter team carefully airlifted him back to his owners using a net, and he was placed in an animal trailer for safe transport.
Ed had arrived in Christiana on May 30, but he went missing the very next day. At one point, he was seen running along Interstate 24, which caused traffic to stop while deputies tried to catch him. But Ed slipped away into nearby woods.
During his time on the run, Ed became a local celebrity. Videos and photos of him appeared all over social media. People made funny posts pretending Ed was visiting famous places or enjoying meals at popular restaurants like Waffle House.
This is not the first time a wild animal caused excitement in the South. In April, a runaway kangaroo briefly shut down a highway in Alabama.