The owner of the three zebras who escaped from a Maryland farm in August has been charged with animal cruelty after one of the animals died in a trap, according to court records.
Jerry Lee Holly, 76, is not accused of setting the illegal snare trap, discovered a month ago on Sept. 16 near an enclosure where other zebras were kept.
NBC Washington obtained a charging statement that says the Zebra "should have been seen or heard while it was dying from being caught in the snare if the caretaker had attended to the zebras in the fenced enclosure."
The death and the failure to provide the zebras on the loose for almost two months served as evidence of neglect, according to the document. In addition, on Tuesday, another zebra was found dead on Holly's property. The investigation into its death is ongoing.
Holly is a breeder and trader of exotic animals, licensed by the federal government to have 39 zebras.
While it was first reported that five zebras escaped, it was later discovered that only three did. Authorities are still attempting to catch the other two zebras that are still alive.
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The plan is to use food to try and attract them into a corral, NBC News reported.
The snare trap is being investigated by the Maryland Natural Resources Police as the type of trap is illegal in Prince George's County, according to the DNR, NBC News reported.
The Maryland Department of the Environment Director Andrea L. Crooms said in a statement that they hope to return the animals safely.
"We continue to be hopeful that the animals at large can be safely returned to the herd," Crooms said.
