An escaped zebra who has been roaming the countryside near Seattle for almost a week has been recaptured, US officials have said.
The Regional Animal Services of King County said on its website: “The zebra seemed to be in good condition despite her nearly week-long adventure in the woods.”
Shug, who has been on the run since she and three other zebras escaped from a trailer near the city, was surrounded by locals and animal control officers in the town of Riverbend on Friday evening.
Shug and her travelling companions were being taken from Washington State to Montana last Sunday.
The animals got loose after the driver stopped near North Bend, in the foothills of the Cascade mountains about 30 miles (48 km) east of Seattle.
Local people were surprised to see them gallop through a rural neighbourhood.
The other three beasts were quickly captured after being surrounded in a field, but Shug, initially dubbed Z, jumped a fence and disappeared.
Her adventure quickly captured public attention, spawning social media memes that placed the animal everywhere from riding a ferry across Puget Sound to rounding the bases at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners.
The mare was also seen on roads and hiking trails, both with the others and alone, sparking concerns she might cross paths with cougars known to be in the area, or simply be run over by a car.
Eventually, King County officials set up feeding zones to help coax the animal out and she was nabbed on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail in the Boxley Creek Natural Area.
The animals’ owner, Kristine Keltgen, had told The Seattle Times she bought the zebras in Lewis County, Washington, and was bringing them to a petting zoo she runs near Anaconda, in southwestern Montana, a journey of 650 miles (1050 km).
She had been on the road for about two hours when she noticed one of the trailer’s floor mats was flapping and dragging behind her.
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When she opened the door to adjust the mat, the zebras ran out.
Several people stopped to help corral the animals, including a rodeo clown and horse trainers, but Shug had managed to get away.
Shug will now be transported to Montana to join the rest of the group of zebras, Regional Animal Services of King County said.
