An elusive antelope that fled last month from the Gladys Porter Zoo and was on the run for nearly a week will be returned to a North Texas ranch with an escapist name he earned while in captivity.
The 3-year-old male greater kudu, left unnamed for weeks, had trouble adjusting to the rest of the herd at the zoo in Brownsville, authorities told the Brownsville Herald.
After the antelope's brief freedom, zoo fans voted to name him "Kudini," after escape artist Harry Houdini, zoo officials announced Friday.
The spiral-horned antelope escaped from the zoo Feb. 18. Kudini was caught nearly a week later near an international bridge to Mexico.
Zoo officials early in the ensuing monthlong quarantine period began to doubt that the kudu would be able to adapt to a captive herd.
"After watching this animal closely for over 30 days, we just don't think he will ever feel comfortable in close proximity to people," said Walter DuPree, the zoo's mammal curator. "Many antelope adapt, but not this one."
The animal spent most of his life on a North Texas ranch, where he was trucked Friday. The name of the ranch was not immediately released.
