Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby confirmed that a zebra died at a farm in the Pittsburgh area.
According to WLFI, the call came in Wednesday morning. There were two zebras on the property, but only one died as a result of the cold.
Sheriff Leazenby said the department consulted with a veterinarian from the State Board of Animal Health. They have concluded that the zebra’s back hooves were stuck in fencing. In the animals panic, it inhaled enough cold air to cause internal damage that led to its death.
Sheriff Leazenby said they checked out the scene, and the property met standards for adequate provisions for outside animals. He said there was shelter, food, and water available.
Viewer Sonya Kendall submitted a picture of the zebras. In the photo, the animals do not have any kind of blanketing. Kendall said in a Facebook post that the second zebra has been moved to another property.
Sheriff Leazenby said they are still filing a report with the Carroll County Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecutor will determine if this is a case of neglect or was simply an accident.
The property also has kangaroos, however Sheriff Leazenby confirmed that the kangaroos were inside a shelter. He also confirmed that the other zebra has been moved and that the owners are going through more measures to ensure the rest of their animals remain safe.
As of 11:30 a.m., Sheriff Leazenby said the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department had received less than 10 calls regarding animal abuse due to the extreme cold.