Zebra on the loose near Seattle interstate after four escape from trailer

Four zebras being transported to Montana escaped near Interstate 90 in North Bend, Washington , prompting a community-wide effort to corral them.

Three of the animals were subsequently captured but one remained on the loose as of Sunday night, according to King County Animal Control .

It’s unclear why the privately owned zebras were being driven to Montana.

The animals got loose when the driver stopped to secure the trailer near Exit 32 at around 1pm on Sunday, Washington State Patrol spokesperson Trooper Rick Johnson said.

“This is a first for me and all WSP troopers involved. The community has come together to help,” Mr Johnson wrote on X.

According to the Seattle Times , Laura Fisher was driving at 70 mph on Interstate 90 with her son when they noticed the doors of a trailer up ahead flapping in the wind.

They initially assumed it was empty but soon spotted nervous zebras edging towards the trailer’s edge.

“Our main concern was that they were going to jump out of the trailer at 70 and probably die and cause a major issue for the other drivers,” she was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

A few videos shared on Citizen App — a mobile app that sends users location-based safety alerts in real-time and allows them to read updates about ongoing reports, broadcast live video, and leave comments — showed the zebras running in traffic, according to KOMO News.

It said the drivers on Interstate 90 had to hit the brakes when they spotted the zebras.

“One’s still on the loose, two are right down the street from me. We got zebras in April in North Bend,” a witness Whitney Blomquist was quoted as saying.

Ms Blomquist’s security camera’s motion sensor alerted her to unexpected wildlife activity in her side yard.

“They start walking up my driveway and they make their way over to one of my rentals,” she added. “I’ve had plenty of bears in my yard but this was a new one, for sure.”

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson said that “once we get the other one – I won’t say in custody – but back corralled, it is a feel-good story. We’ve got three out of the four safe right now.”

The King County Sheriff’s Office has also not been able to verify how the animals escaped.