The story of the four zebras heading towards Opportunity gained nationwide attention in late April when they escaped from their owner’s trailer in Washington state.
Owner Kristine Keltgen stated that the zebras ran away when she stopped to check on the trailer while traveling east. Three of the zebras were captured quickly, but a mare named “Shug” remained on the run for nearly six days.
All four zebras eventually made their way to Montana.
However, it was discovered that Keltgen broke a state law by not providing the necessary Certificate of Veterinary Inspection paperwork before importing the zebras.
Dr. Tahnee Szymanski, the state veterinarian for the Montana Department of Livestock, confirmed that the zebras are in quarantine but did not disclose their location during a phone interview on Thursday.
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Szymanski mentioned that the evaluation process for the zebras’ importation is currently ongoing.
It was also revealed that Keltgen had previously legally imported two other zebras, according to Szymanski.
The Montana Standard attempted to contact Keltgen on Friday, but she hung up when asked about the zebras’ quarantine.
Property records on Cadastral show that Keltgen owns approximately seven acres of land in Opportunity, where she keeps cows, horses, and other animals.
In an interview with The Gee & Ursula Show on KIRO Newsradio in Seattle, Keltgen described the zebras she purchased as domesticated.
Keltgen initially planned to add the zebras to a petting zoo, as reported in news stories from late April and early May. However, she expressed uncertainty about the plan during her interview on the radio show.
Reports from Ohio in March 2023 highlighted an incident where a man in Pickaway County was injured by a zebra he owned. While early reports suggested the man lost an arm, later accounts clarified that he would not lose it. The aggressive male zebra, influenced by the presence of female zebras, was eventually shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy.
Keltgen mentioned in the radio interview that the four zebras she brought from Washington were born in the U.S., domesticated, and raised properly.
She described them as “sweet” during the radio interview.
Research from the University of California Davis indicates that taming wild zebras can be difficult. Although the research did not focus on captive-raised zebras, it noted that zebras, in general, are challenging to fully domesticate due to their aggressive and unpredictable nature.
When asked about having zebras as neighbors, Serge Myers, who lives near Keltgen, stated that as long as the zebras are treated well, he doesn’t have a problem with it.
Cameron Satterfield, a spokesman for King County, Washington, mentioned that Keltgen was not penalized for the zebras’ escape and was not charged for the search and rescue efforts.
