Officials at a zoo in Armenia said reports of a zebra that escaped from the facility were the result of a donkey that had been painted black and white as a prank.
Police in Yerevan, the nation’s capital, received information Friday morning that a zebra had escaped from the Yerevan Zoo and was wandering loose Myasnikyan Avenue.
The zoo later released a statement to news outlet Shamshyan explaining the animal was not actually from the facility — and wasn’t even a zebra.
“The news story this morning was nothing more than a failed joke,” the zoo said. “A citizen, whose identity is currently being determined by law enforcement, painted his donkey with stripes and took it to Myasnikyan Avenue to film a video. I would like to inform you that the zebras at the Zoo are safe and in their free enclosure.”
The zoo warned against similar stunts, saying chemical dyes can be toxic to animals and cause health problems.
