COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Parents of Prescott South Elementary School woke to an unusual message from the school Friday morning, warning of a zebra running loose around the Cookeville area.
"Good Morning Prescott Families - There is a zebra on the loose in the Prescott area. It escaped a truck, was tased, and is mad. Do not approach (Yes, really)," the Facebook message stated.
People in the community called 9-1-1 dispatchers wondering why there was a zebra loose in their town as officers responded to wrangle the animal.
"When I came in this morning, they were talking about, 'We had a zebra on the loose.' and I said, 'A zebra? Really?' the dispatcher told one caller.
Fortunately, the zebra's life on the lam didn't last long, as it was captured later Friday morning.
"Edit: The zebra has been captured," a follow-up message from the school read.
Prescott South Middle School teacher Ashley Danielle Francis managed to snap a few pictures of the animal after its escape.
"So PSMS, it's real," she wrote. "One thing I'd never thought I'd see on my way to work this morning."
Police said they responded to a call about a zebra that had escaped from Triple W Livestock Auction at West Cemetery Road at around 4 a.m. Friday morning. Police then helped employees try to capture it.
They said the zebra was agitated and ran onto Highway 111. Luckily, a lack of early morning traffic allowed officers to position themselves to minimize injuries to the zebra.
Two officers with the Cookeville Police Department unsuccessfully tried to use Tasers on it. Eventually, at around 7:15 a.m., the zebra was cornered and taken onto a transport trailer.
Police said there were no injuries or property damage during the zebra's great escape.
