NEAR TAMPA, Fla. (WSVN) — It was a wild encounter for a Florida homeowner when a zebra came galloping through his backyard, Friday afternoon.
The escaped animal only tasted freedom for about one hour, but it still gave the four-legged runaway enough time to get into plenty of trouble.
It took a few moments for homeowner Mark Ross to realize what was happening. “I thought, from what I saw, that it was a horse. But it had stripes, so I thought I was hallucinating,” he said, “and then I realized I wasn’t, so I got to the edge over here.”
Before he broke out his camera to make sure his friends didn’t think he was making this up, the two had a brief encounter. “The zebra saw me, and I don’t know who was more afraid, him or me, and he kind of stampeded at me and started running around the circle here,” said Ross.
Deputies responded and, with the help of Florida Fish and Wildlife, they safely corralled the animal.
The zebra is now back at home with at least four others, but investigators said, before it was taken into custody, it ran into a man’s truck on State Road 672, shattering a side view mirror. That driver sustaining minor injuries but is expected to be OK.
As for Ross, he’s become a social media star. “It’s a big hit on social media. From people that I didn’t even know, that didn’t know that I existed, are wanting information and replying to the videos,” he said, “so, if anything I’ve entertained a lot of people for the evening.”
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