NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — The death of two zebras in New Braunfels caught after a wild chase captured statewide attention, and has many begging the question: Is it legal to own a zebra in Texas?
The legalities are black and white, according to Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo Deputy Director Jarrod Forthman.
"In Texas, there is actually thousands of zebras that are in private collections," Forthman said. "It's just something that is not regulated by the state, so people are allowed to have zebras."
He says zebras can also play a vital role on farms because they are more aggressive than horses and donkeys, and can also scare away predators. But unlike horses and donkeys, he said, zebras are not domesticated and their wild instincts tend to kick in. It’s why he’s wasn’t surprised to hear two ran away.
"An animal that weighs up to 850 pounds – on the large side for a zebra – is going to go through your average fence that normally keeps a horse in," Forthman said.
He says the zebras at Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo are surrounded by four different fences to prevent them from escaping.
It’s still unclear how the two zebras that broke out of a New Braunfels died after they were sedated and captured.