Zebra runs amok on Aichi golf course; dies in lake

if they cannot handle a zebra, how can authorities here handle a more complicated incident?

Another blunder...sad.

Poor zebra.

A calmer approach would surely have had a much better outcome.

So all these escaped animal practice events we saw in the past have had no meaning then.

Sorry to say, but I can picture the scene now, a dozen woefully inept men running around scaring the bejesus out of a tame animal - with Benny Hill music as the soundtrack.

Zebra escaping from a horseback riding club. How did this come about?

They should have gotten the guys from the zebra escape drills they hold at zoos all the time.

Poor little guy. Should've given him a mulligan.

Same here buraku, couldnt help it! Pretty awkward debriefing to come.

We all learn from our mistakes i guess but administering a tranquilizer to a 'target' close to a lake and likely to panick after being shot doesn't sound like a great option in the first place. Hope the zebra didn't suffer and enjoyed his last few hours of relative freedom. Poor thing.

Poor zebra. A calmer approach would surely have had a much better outcome.

yeah, wild animals NEVER run away from calm people approaching them.

Didn't they recently have yet another "public safety drill" recently with a guy in a zebra suit running around at Ueno zoo? Seems this poor zebra didn't stick to the script.

Must have been a pretty comedic sight to see.

No laughing matter that the poor beast died though.

Zzebras can be ridden. There is a guy that teaches people how. Cute dumb animals. RIP

So all these escaped animal practice events we saw in the past have had no meaning then.

Didn't they recently have yet another "public safety drill" recently with a guy in a zebra suit running around at Ueno zoo? Seems this poor zebra didn't stick to the script.

Would it be relevant if the safety drill were held at the same zoo or it wouldn't matter to you guys?

OMG, Zebra suicide by cop?

if they cannot handle a zebra, how can authorities here handle a more complicated incident?

Chasing down a panicked animal is no simple matter. The smallest variety of zebra can weigh an average of 450kg. You try chasing down a 450kg animal running in fear and let us know how simple a matter catching it was.

This certainly could have been handled a better way.

You know you've heard it all when you read a headline stating "zebra runs amok on golf course, drowns in lake."

RIP. And I really mean that.

..Yeah, as others said- what is the point of the animal training if it can't be used in real-world situations...

Also, it's a Golf Course. It's not like we're talking endless plains to roam here. Enclosed space to an extreme right?

Any reason not to form a line and slowly box it in somewhere while the handler gets called in?

This certainly could have been handled a better way.

Where's Tarzan when you need him, eh?

Zzebras can be ridden. There is a guy that teaches people how. Cute dumb animals. RIP

Actually they can't be ridden. This will tell you why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMpMxaX3Kdg

I saw it this morning LIVE on TV. At first I thought it was hilarious, because they used a helicopter to pursue him on the golf course, and they had a lot of trouble trying to capture him on such a big open space. Eventually a vet got close enough to use a blow dart tranquilizer. If I am not mistaken, I think he shot him twice (once in separate locations). Then the men surrounded him for the capture, but the poor creature panicked and jumped into the pond. He swam for a short distance, but the drugs kicked in, and you can see his body to shaking very rapidly from fear. He eventually lost consciousness, and they pulled him out. They administered CPR at the scene, but it was too late. RIP poor little guy.

A Zebra that earned its' stripes. Never give in to "The Man" and live free.

Once an animal has been shot with tranquilizer, isn't it the practice to follow at a discreet distance until it passes out on its own? Why try to capture it with a bunch of inept men and cause even more panic?

So where were the professional handlers from the riding club who would of course know what to do? Cops can't handle a zebra - what the hell is going to happen if/when terrorist groups (not the local manga-generation type here) decide Japan needs a lesson?

A calmer approach would surely have had a much better outcome.

Not necessarily. Zebras are not black and white stripped horses. You can't even compare them to dogs and wolves -- the first a domesticated version of the wild latter.

Zebras are social animals, yes, but not do not live in packs. They live in big groups, or harems. These harems, notably, have no social order, and therefore males and females are entirely impossible to domesticate. They are even hard to dominate/train. Bachelor males either live alone or with groups of other bachelors until they are old enough to challenge a breeding stallion

IOW, the Zebras are more like lions.

Here, the article says the Zeebra was a 2-year old male. These guys are really ornery. Even specialized handlers have a tough time.

The bottom line is no one should handle zebras unless they really know what what they are doing.

@Black Sabb

it was on a horseback riding farm in Aichi-ken so it may have grown up more docile than a natural one

I had to check the date and realised tha April fool's day is next week. They needed those specialists that take part in the 'man in a zebra suit' drills they have at ueno zoo. Sad end for the zebra though.

I saw it this morning on TV, i think veterinary got the tranquilizer dose wrong

We have all seen examples of these idiots far too many times running around screaming & shouting holding various nets etc, total morons which the monkey, boar, duck with arrow, etc elude them for days on end some times!!

Seems these idiots NEVER realize the STRESS they are causing, then in this case shoot a couple tranquilizers & then instead of WAITING they chase, no bloody wonder the animal died!!

My bet is on HEART failure NOT drowning!!

And we will seem the same non-sense again & again & again!!

The poor thing was clearly stressed. At least it got a few good kicks in, such a sad ending though.