One deputy claimed the zebra was “protective of about five or six female zebras that were in the field,” according to an incident report obtained by multiple outlets
Authorities in Ohio say a man nearly lost his arm when he was attacked by a pet zebra over the weekend.
Deputies from the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) responded to the home in Circleville on Sunday after a man called in saying “his arm had been bitten off by a Zebra,” according to CNN.
“I think he tore my arm off,” he told the dispatcher, according to FOX News.
The victim — identified by ABC News as 72-year-old Ronald Clifton — was found lying on the ground and hemorrhaging below his right elbow when officers arrived at the scene, according to an incident report obtained by the outlet.
The zebra continued acting aggressively as first responders tended to the scene before it was eventually shot and killed by an officer, according to NBC affiliate WCMH and ABC affiliate WSYX.
The victim is not expected to lose his arm, per the reports.
PCSO Sheriff Matthew Hafey did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
onders and Clifton’s family as the victim received treatment at the scene, according to WSYX and WCMH.
Officers did all they could to scare away the aggressive zebra, including using the air horns and sirens on their patrol vehicles, per the reports.
The first deputy who arrived at the property said the “hostile” zebra charged at his patrol vehicle shortly after he arrived, according to CNN.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(899x489:901x491)/zebra-attack-031423-bec7557d26804edbb450a71f0874c95e.jpg)
One deputy claimed the zebra was “protective of about five or six female zebras that were in the field,” WCMH and ABC News reported.
A police sergeant eventually killed the zebra after it approached them, according to ABC News. The victim’s family had given officials permission to shoot the animal if it got too close to anyone.
“I had to make a decision,” the officer said, per WSYX. “I put a slug right between its eyes.”
Hafey told WCMH he “fully” supports the officer’s decision to kill the animal, which he said had a history of aggression. “He did what was best to protect the people on the scene there,” the sheriff added.
The victim was transported to Grant Medical Center for treatment, according to WSYX and WCMH. No other injuries were reported.
Zebras are allowed as pets in Ohio, as the state does not list them as wild and dangerous animals, per the reports.
The zebras remaining on the property likely will not be confiscated, according to WSYX.
Source: people.com
