Zebras run free across the savage plains of Schaarbeek

It was perhaps one of the strangest traffic warnings ever: three zebras running free in the area of the Van Praet bridge in Brussels on Friday, reported by the traffic service of VRT.

The animals had escaped from a ranch in the Koningslo district of Vilvoorde. There had originally been four escapees, but one was recaptured after becoming cornered in a nearby park. The three remaining zebras headed towards Brussels on Chaussée de Vilvorde.

They were pursued by up to eight police cars, with officers accompanied by veterinarians armed with tranquilliser guns intended to sedate the animals so they could be recaptured safely. One of the three was caught on Schaarbeeklei in Vilvoorde, and the other two were eventually taken in Rue Cyriel Buysse close to the car inspection centre, and returned to the ranch seven kilometres away.

“They broke through the fence and took off,” local resident Marc Luyckx told VTM News. “They’re wild animals; there’s nothing you can do to stop them. Luckily they didn’t cause an accident. Things could have ended very badly.”

photo by Ludovic Bytebier