Stray zebra turn city centre into dawn safari

AS dawn peeled back the night and Bulawayo prepared for another quiet Sunday, two stray zebra casually strutted into the city centre, turning traffic lanes into an impromptu safari route.

Out of the early morning mist, the two black and white beasts sampled the CBD, their hooves striking tar instead of soil, their wide eyes reflecting shop windows rather than open plains.

In a city built of stone and steel, the wild had arrived unannounced, turning an ordinary morning into an unforgettable spectacle.

For a few surreal hours, Bulawayo’s CBD swapped its usual rhythm of hooting kombis and hurried footsteps for the soft, uncertain clip-clop of hooves.

The zebra moved cautiously, as if aware they were guests in unfamiliar territory, navigating through pavements, road markings and curious stares with equal confusion.

The first sighting was reported in Northend suburb at around 6AM, when most of the city was still rubbing sleep from its eyes.

“I honestly thought fatigue was playing tricks on me. I saw these shapes moving quietly down the road. I rubbed my eyes, looked again, and there they were, two zebra, just walking like they had business in town,” said Mr Sibusiso Ndlovu, a security guard who was on duty at the time.

From Northend, the striped animals slowly made their way towards the city centre, sticking close together, occasionally stopping to look around as unfamiliar sounds echoed between buildings.

By around 7AM, they had reached Joshua Mqabuko Street, Bulawayo’s bustling commercial spine, where their presence caused traffic to slow to a crawl and pedestrians to abandon their routines altogether.

Phones were whipped out, voices rose in disbelief, and the CBD briefly became an open-air theatre.
“I was setting up my stall when someone shouted, amadube (zebra). At first, I laughed. Then I looked up and saw them. I felt excited and scared at the same time. They looked beautiful, but also very lost,” said a street vendor.

Those who observed closely noticed that while the zebra were not aggressive, they were clearly disoriented.
Cars hooted, and people talked in loud voices that no animal could understand, tall buildings replaced trees, and open escape routes were replaced by concrete walls for the two visitors.

Social media went into a playful frenzy the whole of yesterday as images of the two zebra trotting through Bulawayo’s CBD galloped across timelines, turning Sunday into a digital stampede of jokes, memes and mock pride.
In a city where humour travels faster than breaking news, users, especially those bearing the Dube surname, wasted no time claiming the striped visitors as family, bragging about their elegance, discipline and unmistakable majesty.

“That’s how we walk into town,” some joked, while others declared the zebra living proof that the Dube name was born to rule both the savannah and the streets of the City of Kings, transforming an unusual wildlife sighting into a moment of collective laughter and cultural swagger.

Wildlife conservationists believe the animals’ unlikely city tour was driven by fear rather than curiosity.
“We suspect they received pressure from dog poachers on the outskirts of the Bulawayo region, which is why and how they were pushed into town,” said Ms Baye Pigors, owner of the Free to Be Wild Rescue Centre situated in Burnside.

“In trying to flee danger, they ran in the wrong direction. Once they entered the city, everything became confusing for them. They didn’t know how to escape.”

As images and videos spread rapidly on social media, the crowd grew, and with it, the risk that the zebra could panic.
She said a startled zebra can run blindly, and in a city environment, that could have ended in tragedy.

What followed, however, was a rare and heartening display of unity.
“Myself, along with my team from Free to Be Wild, Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority, Bulawayo City Council rangers, and members of the Bulawayo community managed to herd the zebras through the chaos of the city and bystanders,” said Ms Pigors.

The operation was less about force and more about patience. Roads were blocked, traffic re-directed, and crowds urged to give the animals space.

Vehicles were temporarily halted as the team formed informal barriers, gently guiding the zebras away from danger.
“It was tense, but it was beautiful. For once, everyone worked together. Nobody wanted to be the one who caused harm,” said Mr Reason Ndlovu.

Through this carefully choreographed effort, the zebras were guided to Frick Muller Big Brother Abattoir, where they could be confined in a quieter, controlled environment away from the noise and confusion of the CBD.

There, a professional darting team led by Mr Norman Monks took over.
“They were darted, immobilised and then safely translocated to the Free to Be Wild sanctuary,” said Ms Pigors.

“We treated them for wounds, most likely sustained while fleeing from the outskirts into town.”
By late morning, the drama that had transformed Bulawayo into a safari set had come to a calm and reassuring conclusion.

“The zebra are now safe at the Free to Be Wild sanctuary, where they have joined other zebra already on the property.
“Slowly, cautiously, they are beginning to settle back into a life that makes sense to them.

“They are currently okay and moving with our other zebra. But they have been through a lot of stress, so we need to closely monitor them,” said Ms Pigors.

“It was funny at first, but then you think about why it happened. Our cities are growing, and wildlife is being pushed further and further. Sometimes the wild ends up knocking on our doors,” said a resident.
Others described the morning as magical.

“I will never forget seeing zebras in the CBD. It reminds us that this city was built next to nature. Sometimes nature reminds us that it’s still here,” said Mr Jabulani Mpofu.

A comment from the National Parks and Wildlife Authority of Zimbabwe could not be obtained by the time of going to press.