Loose Zebras Spark Wild Chase After Escape From Pumpkin Patch

Oct 11, 2021

It’s not every day that you get to see some exotic wildlife, especially wild animals, strutting across the street. You usually need to buy tickets to a local zoo or even check out an animal sanctuary. A handful of lucky people in the state of Illinois were able to see some pretty interesting animals while out and about on their daily drive.

A pair of zebras escaped from an indoor zoo at a pumpkin farm in the area, sparking a wild chase for nearly two hours. Farmworkers, zookeepers, and police officers worked diligently to help rein the zebras in. The male and female zebras had managed to escape from Goebbert’s Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard in Pingree Grove, Illinois, on Oct. 6, 2021, before beginning their stroll of freedom. 

Jacob Goebbert, a former professional baseball player, works at the pumpkin farm located near Hampshire in his free time, which is owned by his family. He used to play for a variety of baseball teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres.

The pair of zebras clearly had a lot of energy to exert as they roamed free for a couple of hours in Kane County, setting the police on a humorous yet much-needed chase to try to get them back to the pumpkin farm safe and sound. The animals also entertained a handful of people in the area as several drivers saw the zebras running around. Read on to find out more about this wild chase between a pair of loose zebras and the people who worked to bring them back home.

Goebbert needed to put his athletic skills to the test as he had to round up a pair of zebras that managed to escape his family’s pumpkin farm. He explained that the male and female zebra had somehow escaped from their pen at Goebbert’s Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard’s indoor zoo before leaving the building through the rear doors, as per UPI. 

The farm has a few other exotic animals at its indoor zoo for visitors to come to see. However, Goebbert explained that the pumpkin farm does not own the zebras or any other animals at its zoo, as the animals are provided by another business.

UPI reported that farmworkers and zookeepers set out to try to find the zebras and bring them back to the pumpkin farm. Kane County sheriff’s deputies later joined in on the two-hour-long chase after getting a call about a pair of loose zebras running on Route 47. Illinois State Police were contacted when the chase had made its way to Interstate 90, with officers from both the Hampshire and Pingree Grove police departments joining in the unusual pursuit.

A video from CBS Chicago showed the two zebras running through a stretch of grass alongside the road. At first, they looked like ordinary horses, but people soon realized that they were actually exotic creatures once their black and white striped coats were visible.

After nearly two long hours of chasing the animals, the zebras were finally captured unharmed and brought back to the farm, as per UPI. The farm is currently investigating how they escaped from their pen in the first place.

What do you think about this unusual police chase? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family members and friends to find out what they think, too!