One of the zebras that escaped from a farm in Upper Marlboro in late August died nearly a month ago, according to officials.

The news was first reported by the Washington Post.

The zebra died in a snare trap near a field on a private property in Upper Marlboro, according to Lauren Moses, a spokesperson for the Maryland Natural Resources Police. Officers found the animal on September 16 after responding to a call about a deceased animal, she said over email, adding that the zebra is believed to be one of the equids that escaped on August 31.

Police do not currently have information on who placed the snare trap, per Moses — according to Maryland regulations, it is illegal to use, place, or even to possess a snare trap in Prince George’s County. While the county is heading up the quest to catch the zebras, the Natural Resources Police is handling the investigation into the placement of the snare trap.

Linda Lowe, the spokesperson for the Prince George’s Department of the Environment, told the Post that three zebras escaped from the farm, rather than the five that had been widely reported. A statement from the county now refers to the “three zebras that got loose” instead of referring to five. Lowe has not immediately responded to additional inquiries.

The zebras escaped from the property of Jerry Holly, who legally owns them through a breeding license with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Officials from Prince George’s say the county has been in constant communication with Holly and the USDA over capturing the zebras. Attempts to reach Holly have been unsuccessful.

According to the county, the owner is using two of his other zebras as a form of bait in an enclosure alongside food, as part of a plan to entice the escaped equids to return to the corral.

“Our priority is to make sure the zebras are captured and returned to the herd,” Prince George’s County Department of Environment Director Andrea L. Crooms said in a statement. “Once this is accomplished, the County will conduct a further investigation, and any actions including any appropriate charges against the owner will be evaluated.”

Daniel Rubenstein, a professor of zoology at Princeton University, told DCist/WAMU last month that the escaped zebras could likely survive on the lam in Prince George’s County because “all the conditions are out there in terms of food and water, and there’s no lions or hyenas to eat them.”

After the zebras first escaped, residents posted images of them on social media near roadsides. Those images have been posted with less frequency of late.

This post has been updated with information about Maryland’s regulations on snare traps and additional information from the Natural Resources Police, as well as a statement from Prince George’s County.

Previously:
Could The Escaped Zebras Survive Roaming Around Prince George’s County Forever?