When most people think of a zebra’s habitat, visions of an African savanna come into mind. That’s why it probably comes as some surprise that a manhunt is on for Marty the zebra in Miller County, Missouri.
Joe McDevitt purchased Marty back in April 2022. The zebra has since been on the run for a number of days, with McDevitt chronicling the search for Marty on social media.
According to McDevitt, construction work near Marty’s enclosure scared him, which caused the jailbreak. He’s stayed relatively close to home but attempts to recapture the animal have been unsuccessful thus far.
“We started getting calls from people around the area in a couple of mile radius. We went out in the gilly suits and tried to tranq him. We were able to get one shot off but it turns out he is pretty resilient,” McDevitt said.
McDevitt is also in the process of building a new enclosure for the animal to prevent any future escapes. He has notified local authorities about Marty’s escape and has done everything needed to make sure his ownership is legal.
Zebras are legal to own in Missouri with the approval of the state Department of Agriculture. A few other requirements that need to be met are a negative equine infectious anemia test, a vet inspection certificate showing identification, an inspection by an accredited vet and if you use the animal in a zoo a six-month passport can be revoked if Vesicular Stomatitis is confirmed.
Source: https://abc17news.com/news/2022/07/28/zebra-owner-looking-for-escaped-animal-in-miller-county/