NORTH BEND, Wash. — A missing zebra who captured global attention was safely captured in North Bend on Friday night, according to Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC).
The mare, or female zebra, was rescued in the Riverbend neighborhood around 7 p.m. Friday, May 3, after being on the loose for almost six days. Her name is "Sugar," and also known as "Shug."
"It was a privilege to be part of the successful rescue of this now-famous zebra," said RASKC Animal Control Sgt. Samantha Moore, who was on scene Friday night as the zebra was corralled. "Seeing her safely loaded into a trailer and on her way home is the best outcome we could have hoped for, and exactly what I wanted to see as an animal control officer."
It took approximately 3 hours for rescuers to capture Sugar.
Now, the zebra will soon be taken to Montana, where the group of four zebras was originally headed before they escaped.
On Sunday, April 28, the owner was transporting the zebras from Winlock, Washington, to Anaconda, Montana, when she stopped just off Interstate 90 near North Bend area to fix a problem with the trailer. That's when the four zebras escaped and ran away.
Three of the four were captured within hours and continued on to Montana. The fourth ran wild in the North Bend and Snoqualmie Valley areas for days. She was frequently spotted by residents and passersby.
Private citizens joined with animal control officers from Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) to make the rescue on Friday evening. RASKC said the zebra appears to be healthy despite the nearly week-long adventure in the woods.
RASKC thanked the King County Sheriff's Office, King County Parks, the Washington State Patrol, the city of North Bend, and local residents for their help in rescuing the zebra.
"We'd like to thank everyone who assisted us in this successful effort by calling in sightings and sharing information on the zebra's location," said Capt. Tim Anderson, operations manager for RASKC. "Our community in King County really came together to help Shug, and we wouldn't have been able to do our work without their support."
Animal services is investigating the escape of the zebras and the owner could face fines or citations, however that decision will come after the investigation is finished.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.