Zebra, Miniature Horse Returned To Petting Zoo After NYC Adventure [Video]
From the archive: published Nov 29, 2012, 13 years ago. Details may have changed since.
New York, NY – A zebra and a miniature horse were safely returned to a petting zoo after a brief adventure through the city streets, according to The Washington Post.
Several individuals in the Staten Island area were surprised to see the companions running through the area on Wednesday. At one point during their excursion into the big city, the four-legged adventurers were spotted hanging out in a shopping center parking lot.
The scene looked like something out of a Pixar movie, complete with light peril and a few near misses.
“I was sitting at my desk at about 9:20 when I saw a zebra and pony run back and forth across the street, almost getting hit by a car,” Metropolitan Drape & Blind owner Zachary Osher explained to The Staten Island Advance .
“About 30 seconds later, I saw two men in dark black suits carrying lassos running across the street,” Osher continued. “I have no idea how it got there. I figured [the men with lassos] knew what to do.”
If the men with the lassos knew what they were doing, then the zebra and the miniature were well-versed in their tactics. The duo managed to eluded their handlers for quite some time. However, officials finally managed return the animals to the safety of the petting zoo.
DNAinfo explains that Giovanni Schirripa is the owner of adventurous friends. The petting zoo operator said the pair managed to escape his grasp while he was cleaning their pens.
“I wanted to get something different. I always wanted a zebra. He’s just a horse with stripes,” Schirripa said.
He added, “It’s a lot more work than I thought. They’re a little more vicious.”
Fortunately for all involved, the animals weren’t harmed during their brief New York City adventure.
To see footage of the zebra and the miniature horse during their journey through the streets of Staten Island, take a look at the video embedded below.