UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Exotic wildlife seller Jerry Lee Holly has agreed to surrender all of his animals as part of an agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture. Holly, 78 of Upper Marlboro, owned several zebras that escaped and roamed free for months around Prince George's County two years ago.
The agreement means that all Animal Welfare Act violations the agency discovered at Holly's Maryland facility have been settled. Holly was found not guilty of animal cruelty charges earlier this year.
"Jerry L Holly agrees to sell, donate and/or transfer ownership and possession of any regulated animals on his premises, regardless of ownership, with in 12 weeks," the settlement agreement reads.
The document is signed and dated Nov. 22, 2023.
Holly previously faced charges of animal cruelty after one of the zebras was found dead in an illegal snare trap just feet away from Holly’s fence line enclosing his captive herd, according to charging documents.
“The animal 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, and most likely died of dehydration after a period of a few days struggling in the trap,” investigators wrote.
Holly was the owner of a herd of 39 zebras that were transported to his Maryland farm from a Florida property, according to Rodney Taylor, Chief of Animal Services in Prince George's County.
At least three of the zebras escaped in August 2021 and were the subject of a massive search effort. The bizarre story captivated the D.C. region. All zebras were found and captured in December.
During the animal cruelty trial, a farm worker testified that the zebras escaped after a tree fell on a special 8-foot steel wire fence Holly built before transferring the Zebra's from Florida to Maryland. He said Holly directed him to fix the fence right away.
An animal control officer also testified that he saw now signs the zebras were not getting enough food, water and shelter.
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The settlement also says Holly has agreed to pay a $15,000 fine.
Holly has a history of violations in Florida, where he kept zebras on an 810-acre ranch before relocating to Maryland. He was cited 240 times over 17 years for wildlife violations and convicted twice.