Authorities say a zebra attacked its owner at a home in Ohio and bit the man’s arm before he was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy.
The attack happened around 5:30 p.m. Sunday in Circleville. Pickaway County Sheriff’s Deputies She responded home and found the man lying on the ground in a fenced field.
The sheriff’s office said a large male zebra continued to act aggressively and attacked a vice cruiser positioned to distance the animal from the victim. One of the deputies managed to scare him off briefly using his cruiser horn and siren, but the zebra continued to charge at the deputies and other first responders.
Pickaway County Sheriff
After the deputies administered a tourniquet and helped the victim get to a nearby ambulance, the zebra returned, CBS affiliate WBNS reports. The station reported that the family advised officers that the zebra could be shot if it got too close.
Bodycam footage released by the sheriff’s office shows the zebra approaching the deputies when one of them fired a shotgun, striking it in the head and killing it, WBNS reports.
It was not clear what caused the zebra’s aggressive behavior, but officials said it may have been trying to protect some female zebras in the same field.
The zebra’s owner was taken to the hospital but is expected to recover. The accident report initially stated that the victim’s arm was severed upon the 911 call but the sheriff later confirmed that the man’s arm had not been bitten off, WBNS reports.
There were no reports of other human or animal injuries.
According to the San Diego ZooZebras can run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour and “have a powerful kick that can cause serious injury.”
They are not considered exotic animals under Ohio law.
