And you thought your commute was boring.

To the amazement of many a dazed driver, Lima, a circus zebra from Barnum & Bailey’s Ringling Circus, raced down an Atlanta highway during rush hour Thursday, Feb. 18.

The zebra escaped from a holding arena in downtown Atlanta during a practice session. He sprinted through traffic before being recovered by circus workers later in the day and carted off to the University.

“We took him to the vet hospital first thing Saturday morning,” said Crystal Drake, the Southeast Circus spokeswoman for Barnum & Bailey Entertainment.

Lima’s hooves were injured from pounding the pavement, but Kat Gilmore, director of public relations for the University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said the hospital could not release any more information about the particulars of the zebra’s medical condition.

“All of our patients who come here are treated just like people patients. Their medical records are private,” she said. “We can’t talk about them.” 

Drake said Lima is in good condition, but the Circus is still not sure when he may be deemed well enough for release from the hospital.

“He’s on the mend. We’re taking it day by day. He’s doing well,” she said. “I don’t want to speculate, I’m not a veterinarian.”

Drake said the circus entrusted the zebra’s health to Barnum & Bailey’s chief of veterinary care, Dr. Dennis Schmitt. 

“We trust his judgment,” she said. “I can only imagine it was the very best care conceivable. And Dr. Schmitt was familiar with the UGA vet school.”

The veterinary college’s proximity to the scene of the accident was largely responsible for the circus’s decision to send Lima to the University’s facilities for treatment, Drake said.

“We were just two hours away. We’re just really lucky that we we’re close to a school of that caliber,” she said. “Our vet staff has been in contact with them numerous times a day. We treat him just like any human patient.”