NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A pet zebra is currently on the run in Rutherford County just one day after its owners obtained the animal.

Deputies said they had to close portions of Interstate 24 Saturday because the animal was running through traffic on both sides of the highway. The lanes reopened after the zebra disappeared in the woods.

As of Monday, June 2, the search for the zebra is still ongoing, according to authorities. If you see the creature, you’re asked to call the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office at 615-898-7770 to report its location.

Tennessee law states just which animals can be legally kept as a pet and which only belong in the zoo or the wild. The long list includes everything from tigers to llamas and alpacas, and some of the animals that are legal to own might surprise you.

It’s unlikely to see a zebra, giraffe, kangaroo, or camel in someone’s backyard in Tennessee, but under state law, there is nothing stopping anyone from keeping them as pets. However, there are some animals, like white-tailed deer, may only be possessed by zoos.

Knowing local laws can come in handy. Below is a full list explaining what animals you can and can’t own in Tennessee.

Animals you cannot own in Tennessee

Class I: This class includes all species inherently dangerous to humans. These species may only be possessed by zoos, circuses, and commercial propagators. All of the Class I animals are illegal when it comes to personal possession.

• Primates: Gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, gibbons, siamangs, mandrills, drills, baboons, Gelada baboons
• Wolves: All species
• Bears: All species
• Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars: All species
• Elephants: All species
• Rhinoceroses: All species
• Hippopotamus
• African buffalo
• Crocodiles and alligators: All species
• Snakes: All venomous species
• Amphibians: All poisonous species

Class II: This class includes native species, except those listed in other classes.

Anyone who has a Class I animal in captivity without first obtaining the appropriate permit is subject to a $150 fine per animal or $1,000 fine per facility. The fine drops to $10 per animal and $100 per facility if it is a Class II animal.

Owners of unpermitted wildlife have 30 days to take the animal to a qualified recipient. Each day of possession after the 30-day period constitutes a separate violation, which is classified as a Class A misdemeanor.

Animals you can own in Tennessee

Class III: This class requires no permits except those required by the department of agriculture, and includes all species not listed in other classes.

• Nonpoisonous reptiles and amphibians, except caimans and gavials
• Rodents: Gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice, squirrels and chipmunks
• Rabbits, hares, moles and shrews
• Ferrets and chinchillas
• Llamas, alpacas, guanacos, vicunas, camels, giraffes and bison
• Avian species not otherwise listed, excluding North American game birds, ostriches and cassowary
• Semi-domestic hogs, sheep and goats
• All fish held in aquariums
• Bovidae not otherwise listed
• Marsupials (kangaroos, etc.)
• Common domestic farm animals
• Equidae (horses, etc.)
• Primates not otherwise listed
• Bobcat/domestic cat hybrids
• Hybrids resulting from a cross between a Class II species and a domestic animal or Class III species
• Cervidae, except white-tailed deer and wild elk. Elk originating from a legal source while held in captivity for the purpose of farming are regarded as Class III wildlife. All other elk are wild elk and are regarded as Class II wildlife. Anyone who has elk in captivity must have documentary evidence indicating the origin of the elk. This documentation has to be presented to the agents of the department of agriculture or the wildlife resource agency upon request. Sale documentation of offspring of purchased elk is not required.
• Furbearing mammals, including those native to Tennessee, raised solely for the sale of fur

Native species that can only be kept at zoos

Class IV: This class includes those native species that may be possessed only by zoos and temporary exhibitors.

• Black bear
• White-tailed deer
• Wild turkey, including the eggs of wild turkey
• Hybrids of a Class IV species, other than bobcat
• Animals that are morphologically indistinguishable from native Class IV wildlife

Other provisions in Tennessee law

Class V: This class includes such species that the commission, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Agriculture, may designate by rules and regulations as injurious to the environment. Species so designated may only be held in zoos under such conditions as to prevent the release or escape of such wildlife into the environment.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-news/exotic-animals-you-can-own-in-tennessee/