A man was hospitalised last Sunday (12 March) after his arm was 'bitten off' by a zebra in Columbus, Ohio.
Deputies from the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office were called to the bloody scene and ended up killing the wild animal after its owner agreed they could put it down 'if needed'.
The news has since sparked a storm online after footage from officials' bodycams was released to the public.
The bizarre attack occurred around 5:30 pm on Sunday evening (11 March) in Circleville when deputies hurried over to the 72-year-old man's residence.
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Officials found the senior citizen lying on the ground inside of a fenced-in field after they received a call from his saying: "His arm had been bitten off by a zebra," according to a Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office report obtained by CNN.
The first deputy to hit the scene reported that he arrived and found the 'hostile' zebra charging towards his vehicle.
The report explains that the deputy used his patrol horn and sirens to ward off the wild animal in an attempts to gain enough time to tend to the injured man and get him in an ambulance.
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According to the report, the zebra continued to hang around the area and showed aggressive behaviour whilst medical assistance were trying to help the man.
The sheriff's office also claimed that another man on the scene told present deputies: "This zebra is aggressive and to put the zebra down if needed."
Body camera footage shows the whole ordeal taking place - with one man chasing the animal with a rather long stick.
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While the zebra ran off for a moment, it can be seen making its way toward the officers about a minute later.
At this point in time, it has been documented that officials shot and killed the wild animal.
The report revealed that the officer in question who fired at the zebra said it 'didn’t slow down and kept coming at me'.
There has since been an indication that the zebra was a male acting aggressively as it was protecting female zebras in the area.
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The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s list of dangerous and wild animals does not currently include zebras on the list so the species are allowed to legally be owned as pets.
The news has since sent the internet into a total spiral with many shocked at the sequence of events.
One Twitter user suggested that deputies 'could have [sic] taken it to the zoo'.
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"People mess with nature and are surprised when it retaliates," another put forward: "A wild animal bit him, that's [on] him. And seriously an animal was killed over a bite? A herbivore's bite? Ridiculous."
A third added: "Don't see a reason to shoot the zebra and want to know what antagonized it. What's hard about avoiding an angry zebra?"
According to a spokesperson at Ohio Health, the man in question currently remains in the hospital in fair condition.
UNILAD has contacted the Pickaway County Sheriffs Department for comment.
Topics: Animals, US News, Social Media
Rhiannon Ingle