Woman Forced To Get Rid Of Pet Zebra After It Bites Off Man’s Nipple

A woman from Muskogee, Oklahoma, has been forced to give up her pet zebra after it bit off portion of a man’s nipple. The man was working in a yard near the zebra’s enclosure when the striped animal attacked.

Fox 23 News reports that the owner of the zebra has kept the pet for 10 years without incident. The owner of the animal says she has had the zebra since it was a baby, and those living near the zebra say they have never had any issues with the animal. In fact, the neighbor’s note that the zebra has always been good.

However, it seems that Leonard Overcash, the victim of the zebra bite, would disagree. Overcash says that he was working in a yard near the zebra’s enclosure when he went near the fence to pull up some weeds. As he neared the fence, he says the zebra attacked him, biting off a portion of his nipple. Overcash required seven stitches on his right nipple from the incident and says the whole thing was “traumatizing.”

“He was just staring, you know just looking, and he just put his head over the fence and bit me. It hurt. It was very severe. It was very traumatizing.”

According to KRMG, the zebra must now be removed from the property. In fact, it seems that the zebra never should have been there in the first place as the City of Muskogee has a no exotic pets in city limits code. The owner says she did not know about that law, and when she first got the pet zebra 10 years ago, she was told by the city she did not need a permit.

However, after the recent incident, the city says the zebra can’t stay. The zebra is currently still at the home but locked in his stable until the owner can find him a new home. The city has given the zebra’s owner 30 days to re-home him. However, the owner says that finding him a home won’t be easy.

The owner has agreed to pay for Overcash’s medical bills and has told the city she will find a new home for the zebra within the 30 day time frame.

This isn’t the first time zebras have caused an issue in a city. In fact, zebras recently terrorized the Belgium capital after escaping a nearby enclosure causing road closures and police escorts through the city.

[Image Credit: Cameron Spencer/ Getty Images]