Ohio zebra badly mauls man’s arm, deputies put it down: ‘I think he tore my arm off’

Pickaway County, Ohio deputies killed a zebra on Sunday evening after it mauled a man’s arm, nearly ripping it from his body.

Deputies with the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a zebra attack in Circleville, Ohio just after 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

During the 911 call, Ronald Clifton, 72, said he was attacked by a zebra, and requested that the rescue squad be sent right away.

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The dispatcher sounded shocked and needed to make sure that Clifton said he was attacked by a zebra, and he confirmed it.

“I think he tore my arm off…send a chopper,” Clifton said.

The dispatcher asked if the animal bit his arm, Clifton said, “Oh hell yes.”

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When deputies arrived, they found Clifton laying on the ground.

According to the police report, one deputy attempted to position his cruiser between Clifton and the zebras when a large male zebra charged the driver side door and acted “very hostile.”
After using the cruiser siren and air horn, the deputy was able to get the zebra to back off so he could get to Clifton, whose arm was bleeding below the elbow.

The deputy applied a tourniquet just below the shoulder and was able to walk Clifton to an ambulance with the help of another deputy.

A third deputy on the scene kept watch on the zebra and reported that one of the workers on the property told him to put the zebra down if necessary.

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Members of the Clifton family told the deputy to not turn his back on the zebra because that is when it will attack. They then reiterated to put the zebra down if necessary, the deputy reported.

Moments later, the zebra is seen on body camera footage walking aggressively toward the deputy, who yelled at it three times to scare it away. When the zebra did not back down, the deputy aimed a 12-gauge shotgun at its head and fired a slug into its forehead.

The report noted that the male zebra was aggressive because he was acting protective of the five to six females in the field—he was the only male in the herd.

Clifton was taken to Grant Hospital in Columbus, Ohio where he was treated for his injuries.