In a surprising turn of events, a zebra named “Shug” was recaptured Friday evening in the community of Riverbend, about 30 miles east of Seattle, nearly a week after she escaped with three other zebras from a trailer near the city.
Shug had been hoofing through the foothills of western Washington for days, capturing the attention of local residents and animal control officers. The Regional Animal Services of King County reported on its website that the zebra was corralled and seemed to be in good condition despite her nearly week-long adventure in the woods.
The zebra’s escape occurred last Sunday when Shug and three other zebras were being transported from Washington to Montana. The driver had taken the Interstate 90 exit for North Bend, in the Cascade mountain foothills, to secure the trailer when the animals got loose, surprising residents and drivers as they galloped into a rural neighborhood.
While three of the zebras were quickly captured after being corralled in a pasture, Shug, initially dubbed “Z,” managed to hop a fence and disappear. Her adventure quickly captured public attention, inspiring social media memes that placed the animal everywhere from riding a ferry across Puget Sound to rounding the bases at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners.
Sightings of Shug on trail cameras in the area sparked concerns, as the cameras had also recently captured cougars in the vicinity. In response, King County officials closed off trail access points along the Snoqualmie Valley Trail in the Boxley Creek Natural Area, where the zebra seemed to be frequenting, to prevent people from spooking the animal and making it harder to recapture.
The zebras’ owner, Kristine Keltgen, had purchased them in Lewis County, Washington, and was transporting them to a petting zoo she runs near Anaconda, in southwestern Montana. She had been on the road for about two hours when she noticed one of the trailer’s floor mats was flapping and dragging behind her.
When she opened the door to adjust the mat, the zebras ran out. Several people, including a rodeo clown and horse trainers, stopped to help corral the animals, but Shug had managed to elude those attempts.
Now that Shug has been safely recaptured, she will be transported to Montana to join the rest of the dazzle, or group, of zebras at Keltgen’s petting zoo.
The Regional Animal Services of King County expressed relief at the successful rescue of the adventurous zebra, bringing an end to her nearly week-long escapade in the foothills of western Washington.