Videos show escaped zebra named Sero roaming streets of Seoul after breaking out of zoo

A young zebra, who reportedly lost both of his parents recently, escaped a zoo and spent three hours galloping around the South Korean capital this week, videos show.

The animal, named Sero, escaped from his enclosure Thursday afternoon in Seoul, after breaking through wooden fences surrounding his pen, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

The animal's behavior changed after both of his parents died, zoo officials said in January, per The Korea Herald.

Born in captivity in 2021, Sero started refusing to eat the apples and carrots he once loved after his parents' death, the Washington Post reported. He also began feuding with kangaroos living in the next enclosure, zoo officials said in a video translated by the outlet.

After the escape, videos captured Sero running around the streets of Seoul, a city of about 10 million people.

One shopkeeper in Seoul who witnessed Sero walking around said he felt like he was watching a wildlife documentary, Yonhap reported.

At one point, a driver said the zebra popped into the road out of nowhere before bumping into his vehicle. He also was spotted poking his nose into garbage bins, other witnesses reported to Yonhap.

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Captured, healthy and back home

Sero was sedated and captured at about 6 p.m., local firefighters who aided in the chase said.

Police and emergency workers managed to corner the zebra after it entered a narrow alleyway between houses and shot it with tranquilizers, ending its three hours of freedom.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage caused by the zebra running loose.

He is healthy and is now back in his enclosure, Choi Ye-ra, an official at the Children’s Grand Park in Seoul.

The zebra was in stable condition and being examined by veterinarians as of Thursday evening, Ye-ra said.

Ye-ra said the zoo is reviewing camera footage and investigating what led to the animals' breakout.

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A zebras lifespan in the wild is about 20 years, according to the Dublin Zoo. On average, the animals live up to 40 years in captivity. The animals are grazers, and predominantly feed on grass.

Contributing: Associated Press.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zebra was on the loose in Seoul after it escaped zoo, videos show