Zebra Bolts From Livestock Auction, Leads Police On 3-Hour Chase

COOKEVILLE, TN — No one can say, except possibly another zebra, what prompted the black and white striped animal to bolt and lead police on a three-hour chase in Cookeville, Tennessee, early Friday morning.

But the zebra was at the Triple W Livestock Auction, at 1050 W. Cemetery Road, when it bolted around 4 a.m., and that makes the escape ultimately more interesting.

Did the zebra sense this was its last chance for freedom?

The auction house regularly holds auctions of exotic animals, according to its Facebook page.

Whatever prompted the zebra’s dash for freedom delighted commuters and prompted a nearby elementary school to send an alert to parents warning them to stay away from the zebra. It read:

“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.)”

Ashley Danielle Francis, a teacher at Prescott South Middle School, told news station WSMV, she was driving to work when she spotted the zebra near the turnoff to the school campus.

Police said the zebra became angry after officers deployed their stun guns, but Francis described the animal as “scared.” She also said the zebra didn’t appear to be fully grown.

“It’s just the craziest thing I ever think I’ve ever seen in this town,” she said, adding she “just felt really sorry for it” and worried it would get hurt.

Cookeville police said on Facebook that officers had to try different methods to corral the animal — which, fortunately, had gone on the lam when traffic was light — but the zebra was eventually cornered and directed onto the trailer that would take it to its new home.

Scotty Wilson, the owner of Triple W Livestock Auction, told news station WTVF the zebra escaped the custody of someone parked at the facility, and not from the auction itself.

The auction, established in 1991, in 2006 added exotic animal sales four times a year. The sales draw customers from 25 states to buy exotic birds, bison, water buffalo, yak, llamas, alpaca, monkeys, wallaby, kangaroos, fox, peacocks, fancy waterfowl and other exotic species, Wilson told the news station.

"Selling monkeys, all the stuff in the warm room, the foxes," Wilson told WTVF. "Most every town has a cow sale, but very few have a peacock sale."

The Cookeville Police Department still has questions about the zebra and is asking people with information to call 931-526-2125.