A zebra was returned safely to a zoo in Seoul after escaping from its cage there and roaming freely for hours in the center of the South Korean capital, during which it became an Internet star, officials told AFP Friday.
An official at Seoul’s Grand Children’s Zoo said the zebra “Siro” had returned to its enclosure “stable and in good health” after spending three hours running on the roads among cars on Thursday until it was finally cornered by zoo guards.
Three-year-old Ciro was arrested using a security barrier after entering a narrow alley. Pictures posted on social networks show him being taken to the zoo while he was asleep after being anesthetized.
Ciro began acting nervous after the death of his mother in 2020 and his father in 2022, according to a video posted in January on the zoo’s YouTube account.
“He didn’t want to go back to his enclosure and had a fight with a kangaroo,” the video clip said.
His brief adventure in the crowded streets of Seoul earned him internet stardom, with thousands of videos and memes shared by Korean-language social media users.