Pet Zebra Commits a Hit and Run After Escaping Its Pen in Florida

There is a resident in the south part of my county who has exotic animal license and owns zebras among other interesting animals. It somehow escaped and started running all over the neighborhood. It even ran into the driver's side of a pickup traveling north on a nearby road, giving the driver injuries from shattered glass. I am guessing the insurance company will be seeking a claim against the owner possibly?? The Zebra is fine though, and they finally got it home and safe.

I have personally seen llamas, ostriches, crocodiles, pythons, tarantulas, meerkat, macaws, bison, apex felines and quite a few other things in private ownership in Florida . This is certainly the first time I have noticed a zebra though. One of the tamer animals to own I suppose. I wonder if it allows people to ride it??

Riverview resident Mark Ross, who was home on his lunch break, saw the zebra in his backyard when he let his dogs out.

"I kind of thought, at first, I better pinch myself," Ross said. "I must be hallucinating or something, because I really had to ask myself, 'Is this a zebra?'"

"But there was no getting around it — it was definitely a zebra," he continued. "Then I started worrying about, 'How are we going to catch it?' "

Hillsborough County deputies said the female zebra escaped from a property nearby that houses exotic animals. It eluded capture for more than an hour before deputies could corral and return it to its pen.

Before they could do that, however, the zebra was involved in a "hit and run" of sorts. It collided with a pickup truck on S.R. 672 near Amber Street.

The driver of a Ford F-150 truck was traveling northbound on S.R. 672 when the zebra ran into the driver's side of the truck.

The impact broke the truck's side mirror, and some of the glass hit the driver, who suffered small lacerations.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said the owner of the zebra, who was not available to speak to us, has a permit to have exotic animals on their property, and the property was inspected recently.

Funny story actually, even though one person was hurt.

I've had a rogue ostrich run through the barn.
That will put one on their toes.

Looked like she made it to the Serengeti!

a reply to: skunkape23
I hear ostriches are extremely hostile and dangerous.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
Haha yea, she was having flashbacks of home

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: skunkape23
I hear ostriches are extremely hostile and dangerous.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
Haha yea, she was having flashbacks of home

Johnny Cash got ripped open by an ostrich. Started another pain pill addiction for him

a reply to: worldstarcountry

People keep some cray things!! At least this one has a permit. We had a guy in our neighborhood, renting a place, who kept a small zoo of that sort, but who also occasionally had animals from it in the residential home! Found out he later got into a little trouble over that.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes
Any recollection of what kind of animals?? I saw one of those smaller komodo dragon type reptiles in a person's house one. A related smaller species, maybe they call them guilla lizards or something? There is a guy in the city here who keeps a pet recces monkey he takes with him anywhere he goes. People love taking pictures with him when he stops by different wal-marts or local parks.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes
Any recollection of what kind of animals?? I saw one of those smaller komodo dragon type reptiles in a person's house one. A related smaller species, maybe they call them guilla lizards or something? There is a guy in the city here who keeps a pet recces monkey he takes with him anywhere he goes. People love taking pictures with him when he stops by different wal-marts or local parks.

I know for a fact he had a young cougar in the garage at one point, since I saw it. Didn't know he didn't have permission or a permit. As I recall, there were ferrets, and other small animals actually in the house, and that caused a real odor issue for the owners!!

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes
Ferrets and guinea pigs stink bad! I had them both in middle school. I decided to move them to an outdoor pen in the backyard after a few weeks. When I realized there was no way I could train them to be not filthy, I fed them to a 4 foot ball python I had subsequently got from my parents after expressing my disinterest with the rodents. The ferret I sold to a friend in sixth grade though. Mostly because they actually allowed themselves to be handled. Those dang piggies always ran off squealing as if id touched them with lightning, and I notice they always do this in pet shops as well.