Special Delivery: Escaped zebra flying high on journey home after rescue

By Robb Coles

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    CHRISTIANA, Tennessee (WTVF) — After more than a week on the loose, a zebra that the public has named Ed has been captured and returned to his owner.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said crews rescued the zebra from a field in Christiana Sunday morning, ending a search that had captured worldwide attention.

It was an exciting morning for many neighbors in the Buchanan Estates subdivision near Interstate 24 in Christiana.

David and Judy Ball had an unusual view from their backyard Sunday morning as the rescue operation unfolded with the help of a helicopter and the Texas-based Tango 82 Aviation Crew.

“I didn’t know what it was initially, it was carrying something on a long rope or whatever it was,” David Ball said.

“That’s such a quiet area back there, and we don’t usually, unless it’s somebody farming in the field, don’t usually see anybody back there,” Judy Ball said.

What they saw was the culmination of several days of searching to bring the missing zebra back home.

The days-long search was a coordinated effort involving multiple agencies including Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tango 82 Aviation Crew, Volunteer Drone Services, and others.

NewsChannel 5’s Sky5 helicopter even spotted Ed on Friday.

According to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Ed was located in a pasture near the Ball’s home in the Buchanan Estates neighborhood. From there, he was airlifted to a trailer and transported to his owner.

Over the past week, Ed became a social media sensation with millions following his whereabouts in the middle Tennessee community.

Summer Swallow, who lives down the street from where the zebra was found, described what the past week has been like for some locals.

“It’s crazy, I see people talk about it on Facebook all the time, they’re like ‘Yeah let’s saddle up and go catch the zebra.’ I’m like, please it’s in my neighborhood. It’s been here for a week so yeah please come get it,” Swallow said.

For the Ball family, it was certainly a Sunday morning for the books.

“We think so, something to tell the grandkids,” David Ball said.

Ed’s owner reports that the zebra is safe and healthy and has been reunited with his companion zebra.

Interestingly, the zebra was originally named Zeke, but after the public began calling him “Ed” — the owner posted on social media that they are rolling with that.

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