NORTH BEND, Wash. — Authorities are searching for a zebra that escaped a trailer in North Bend near I-90 on Sunday afternoon.
A spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol (WSP) said four zebras being transported escaped at about 1 p.m. Sunday when the driver stopped to secure the trailer along eastbound I-90.
Three of the zebras have been captured, but one zebra is still loose, according to the WSP.
A King County spokesperson said the owner was taking the zebras from Winlock in Lewis County to Anaconda, a city in western Montana. The owner of the zebras continued their journey to Montana, while authorities search for the missing zebra.
The sight of four zebras' striped silhouettes was set against the sound of speeding cars behind them. Dan Barnett of North Bend said he saw the zebras eating grass off the side of the offramp.
"A little bit of disbelief, and really just, how can we help?” Barnett said.
Barnett said other drivers had the same urge to help. They jumped into action.
"The cars on the offramp kinda pulled over by the guardrail and kinda lined up really close to kind of make a makeshift fence to keep them from coming up onto the offramp area," Barnett said.
Their efforts worked because the zebras avoided the interstate. Instead, they galloped into the neighborhoods, witnesses said.
"I've only ever seen them in a zoo, so that was a first," said Alex Campo, who works at South Fork restaurant off I-90's Exit 32 in North Bend.
Brunch patrons witnessed the pack of four zebras gallop past the busy weekend rush.
"Just all saw the zebras on the road," Campo said.
Jon-Erick Anes, a South Fork regular, captured the moments with his camera phone. He said he thought someone was playing a prank on him. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"And then I saw some cars try and get into the neighborhoods to fence them in," Anes said.
But again, they got away.
"They just started hanging out in the grass in somebody’s yard across the street," Anes said.
The baby of the pack ended up in a woman’s backyard.
Meanwhile, when officers arrived, they cornered another zebra but not before Whitney Blomquist saw three of them in her backyard.
"And then so I called someone and was like, ‘So I found the missing zebras, they’re in my yard. Yeah – not sure what to do,'" Blomquist said.
Blomquist said the zebras ran into her neighbor’s property.
"Two of them are in the barn just past my house," Blomquist said.
Two of them were corralled there with the help of rodeo professionals. The barn is about a five-minute drive from the interstate.
"They made it pretty far up,” Blomquist said.
Campo said while laughing that April 28, 2024, will forever be known as “the day the zebras came into North Bend."
"They’re really beautiful animals, and through no fault of their own, found themselves in a very confusing place," Barnett said. "So let’s just hope they all make it to home or whatever that is, tonight."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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