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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Runaway Animals

Injured Zebra Found Wandering on I-75

Motorists see a lot of things along I-75, but this was a horse of a different color.

Actually it wasn't a horse at all, but a baby zebra.Morning commuters reported the animal was grazing next to the Interstate in Henry County on Tuesday. When would-be rescuers from the Department of Natural Resources got to the scene they realized they'd need help and called in the folks from Noah's Ark, an animal rehabilitation center just down the road in Locust Grove. Staffers retrieved the zebra and dubbed him Evidence. That's what police officers on the scene were calling him and the name stuck. They said from his injuries it appears Evidence fell from a truck or trailer and then was hit by another vehicle.

Noah's Ark veterinarian Dr. Karen Thomas checked out Evidence and found extensive injuries."There were more than 50 wounds on his body, including two knocked out teeth," officials at Noah's Ark said in a release. Realizing the zebra needed emergency care he was rushed to the veterinary school at Auburn University. Doctors there discovered Evidence suffered a crushed pelvis and other internal injuries.Auburn doctors performed surgery and Evidence is expected to recover and will have a permanent home at Noah's Ark.If you want to contribute to a fund to help cover the $5,000 in medical expenses go to www.noahs-ark.org for more information.

Runaway Zebra Captured on Connector

A runaway zebra was spotted on Atlanta's downtown connector during the afternoon rush hour last week.

Atlanta police followed the zebra on their motorcycles until they could safely capture it.After capturing the zebra, police had to walk the zebra off the connector. Traffic was backed up for several miles along the downtown connector. The zebra had been spotted in various locations in Atlanta.

Lima, the zebra that broke loose from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus area late last week, is at UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine and is "fine," a spokeswoman for the circus told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday.

The 12-year-old zebra broke loose from a training-and-exercise area and ran through downtown Atlanta in the middle of rush-hour traffic.

His hooves were bloody from running along the pavement. Circus spokeswoman Crystal Drake said several vets examined Lima on Thursday, and he was taken to UGA on Friday for a full, comprehensive exam, she said.

Bovine Stops Traffic

Miami, Florida - Traffic in one South Florida town came to a grinding halt Wednesday thanks to a curious cow hoofing it through a neighborhood.

Davie police said they received a call around midnight that a cow from a nearby field had gotten loose and was walking around, reported WPLG-TV in Miami.

According to police, the cow somehow got through a holding fence and went for a stroll.

The cow casually walked through yards, along fences and even paid a visit to a nearby church.

Drivers slowed down and stopped as the animal crossed the street several times.

A team of Broward Sheriff's Office deputies and Davie police officers kept the cow from entering any major thoroughfares.

At around 8 a.m., it wandered onto the parking lot of the Calvary Chapel, which is next door to the pasture it escaped from. That's when an officer and a construction worker roped the animal - but it didn't go quite as peacefully as they had expected.

"It kind of dragged us around a little bit, but we tied it to the Bobcat so it couldn't go anyplace," construction worker Lance Vincent said.

Vincent said he's been around cows all his life so he wasn't afraid and knew exactly what had to be done to capture the wayward animal.

After pulling an all-nighter, the cow was finally brought back to safety, a bit reluctantly, but unhurt.

WSB-TV; AJC; WPLG-TV

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