Imagine looking up into the sky and seeing something truly unbelievable. Not a bird, not a plane, but a full-grown zebra, wrapped in a net, dangling from the belly of a helicopter. This was no bizarre dream or a scene from a Hollywood movie. For the residents of Rutherford County, one memorable May, this was the spectacular final act in one of the strangest animal escapes America had ever seen. The story of Ed the Zebra is a wild tale of daring escapes, clever evasion, and a week of chaos that turned a striped fugitive into a global superstar.
A Striped Phantom on the Loose
It all began in the quiet community of Christiana. A local animal owner had just brought Ed the Zebra to his new home. But Ed, it seems, had other plans. Less than 24 hours after his arrival, he vanished. On May 31, his owner reported him missing, unleashing a panic that baffled local authorities.
This was no stray cat. This was a wild animal from the plains of Africa, now on the loose in the American South. The situation escalated quickly when drivers on the busy Interstate 24 slammed on their brakes, stunned to see a zebra galloping alongside their cars. Deputies had to shut down the entire roadway, but Ed was too fast and too clever. He slipped away from his pursuers and disappeared into the dense Tennessee woods.
The Zebra Tracker of Christiana
As the official search struggled, a local man became an unlikely hero in the saga. Corey Ortiz, a controls specialist, was holding a yard sale when he witnessed the impossible: a zebra trotting down his street before disappearing into a nearby forest. Ortiz contacted the authorities and checked his security camera, which had captured the whole bizarre event.
The next day, after noticing fresh tracks, he realised the zebra was still nearby. He set up a trail camera deep in the woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive animal. The footage he captured was astounding. It revealed a creature of remarkable intelligence. Ortiz observed that Ed was actively trying to stay hidden, carefully avoiding open areas where he could be spotted. He even had a heart-stopping, face-to-face encounter with Ed while checking his camera. Both man and beast were terrified, locking eyes for a split second before the zebra bolted towards a creek.
An Internet Superstar is Born
While Ortiz tracked the real Ed, the rest of the world fell in love with a legend. Sightings of the runaway zebra flooded social media, and Ed became an overnight celebrity. His week of freedom inspired an explosion of creativity across the internet. Fake postings and memes showed Ed living his best life, with one popular image depicting him enjoying a meal at a Waffle House, a classic southern diner.
Other memes placed him in different Tennessee cities or even showed him panhandling on the side of the road. His fame grew so immense that a small cottage industry of “Ed stuff” appeared, with people creating merchandise to celebrate the beloved fugitive. The chase for Ed became a national sensation, a thrilling and hilarious distraction that captivated millions.
The Final Chase
Ed’s intelligence ultimately played a role in his capture. Ortiz’s trail camera footage had revealed that the zebra would only run into open fields when he heard the search helicopter approaching. This observation was a crucial insight that highlighted the behaviour he would display during the final capture. Aviation crews eventually cornered Ed in a pasture near a subdivision.
In a dramatic final scene, they safely captured him. Then came the moment that cemented Ed’s place in legend. Crews airlifted the zebra, carrying him through the sky in a large net. From the ground, Corey Ortiz watched the unbelievable sight, thinking the captured zebra looked like a bizarre Christmas ornament hanging in the sky.
A New Pasture
Ed’s life as a fugitive was over, but his story was not. Nearly a month after his capture, his owners confirmed he was safe and doing great. They decided their Tennessee property was not the right permanent home for such a clever escape artist. They temporarily moved him to a secure ranch back in Texas, the state where they originally bought him. There, he was given a new friend, a female zebra, to keep him company. While his owners search for the perfect, safe new home for him, Ed is finally enjoying a peaceful life, far from the highways and helicopters of Tennessee.
