A RUNAWAY PET zebra that was on the loose for more than a week in the US state of Tennessee, and became an internet sensation in the process, was captured on Sunday, authorities said.

Ed the zebra was captured safely after being found in a field in the Christiana community in central Tennessee, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said. The sheriff’s office said aviation crews captured him.

“Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Video posted by the sheriff’s office shows Ed wrapped in a net with his head sticking out as he is carried by the helicopter to the trailer.

Ed arrived in Christiana on 30 May, the sheriff’s office said. His owner reported him missing the next day.

The zebra was spotted and filmed running along Interstate 24, forcing deputies to shut the road. But Ed escaped into a wooded area.

There were several sightings posted to social media. Ed was filmed trotting through an urban neighbourhood.

The zebra quickly became the subject of internet memes. One fake posting showed Ed dining at a Waffle House, a southern US staple. Others had him visiting other Tennessee cities or begging on the side of the road.

The hunt for Ed came a month after a runway kangaroo shut down a section of the Alabama interstate road.