Seoul, South Korea (CNN) A male zebra exploded in the South Korean capital on Thursday, pacing busy roads and back alleys for hours before calming down and returning to the zoo.
Videos on social media showed 3-year-old Seiro running through Seoul’s Gwangjin district in heavy traffic, wandering through narrow alleys in residential neighborhoods, and running through zebra crossings as he strolled around the city.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene later and collected the mammal to an alley, where it was calmed down and brought back to the Great Children’s Garden, his home in eastern Seoul.
According to the Gwangjin-gu Fire Station, officers received the first report at 3:43 p.m. of a zebra roaming freely around the area.
An official from the station told CNN that when a team of firefighters drove to the said location, they spotted the zebra running in the opposite direction, prompting them to give chase.
Officers blocked the back-alley escape route with safety fences, fire engines, and police cars to await the arrival of zoo officials.
He said the firefighters refrained from using an animal anesthetic at the zoo’s request.
A team sent by the zoo arrived about half an hour later to administer seven shots of a muscle relaxant which eventually calmed the zebra.
Officers loaded Sero onto the car bound for the zoo around 6:00 p.m., ending her rare ride.
Kim Jae-yeon, an official at the zoo, told CNN that Seeroo’s parents died of illness last year, and he has been showing rebellious behavior since then. He said he once tried to pick a fight with a kangaroo nearby.
In 2005, six elephants also escaped from the same park, entering restaurants and a school, injuring one woman.
According to its website, the zoo is home to nearly 3,000 animals, consisting of 350 species ranging from lions and giraffes to dolphins and exotic birds.
“Lifelong food lover. Avid beeraholic. Zombie fanatic. Passionate travel practitioner.”