Zebras Escape from Trailer, Run Loose in Washington Neighborhood

"Keep an eye out for a Zebra!" Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson said in an update

A group of zebras threw Washington residents for a loop over the weekend!

Four of the striped equines got loose in a neighborhood on Sunday, April 28, after the driver of the truck that was transporting them pulled over to secure the trailer.

“This is a first for me and all @wastatepatrol troopers involved,” Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson began in a tweet shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday.

His post included two photos — each showing a single zebra trailing closely behind a police car on a roadway.

“4 Zebras that were being transported got loose when the driver stopped to secure the trailer EB 90 to exit 32. The community has come together to help. One cornered, 3 outstanding. Crazy!!” his social media message continued.

In a follow-up tweet shared on Monday, April 29, Johnson said one of the animals was still unaccounted for.

“#ZebraUpdate.  The 4th zebra is still on the loose. This is being handled by the King County Regional Animal Services. More updates when I get them! Keep an eye out for a Zebra!!” he wrote at 1:50 p.m. local time.

The bizarre sighting had many doing a double take.

Dan Barnett of North Bend, Wash., said he saw the zebras eating grass off the side of the offramp, Seattle’s King 5 news station reported.

His response to seeing a mini herd of zebras roaming along the road?

"A little bit of disbelief, and really just, how can we help?” he told the outlet.

Barnett and other motorists did their best to get the animals out of incoming traffic and harm’s way.

"The cars on the offramp kinda pulled over by the guardrail and kinda lined up really close to kind of make a makeshift fence to keep them from coming up onto the offramp area," he said.

Related: At Least 6 Zebras Are on the Loose in Maryland After Escaping From a Local Farm, Officials Say

While officers and civilians teamed up to keep the zebras safe, this caused the group of animals to disperse into a nearby neighborhood.

"So I called someone and was like, ‘So I found the missing zebras, they’re in my yard. Yeah – not sure what to do,' " Whitney Blomquist told King 5.

But soon, they’d set their sights on another location.

"Two of them are in the barn just past my house," Blomquist said, noting that the zebras had gone to her neighbor’s home.

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Barnett added, "They’re really beautiful animals, and through no fault of their own, found themselves in a very confusing place. So let’s just hope they all make it to home."

The zebras were being transported from Washington to Montana before their grand escape, per Associated Press.

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