Kangaroo on the loose in Florida after bear enters enclosure
Residents of a small town in Florida were told to keep their eyes peeled for a most unusual lost animal: a kangaroo.
"Just when you think you've seen it all," wrote Sheriff Mike Chitwood in a post on X on October 17. "The Town of Pierson is hopping tonight."
Chitwood shared a screenshot from the "Pierson Community Page" on Facebook, showing a kangaroo hopping along a road. Pierson is located in Volusia County, Florida, north of Orlando.
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Chitwood followed up the post with another stating the kangaroo "reportedly escaped due to a bear entering its enclosure" and that it had not yet been recovered.
"We have been in contact with the owner and are keeping our eyes out for it," wrote Chitwood.
A woman who lives in Pierson told Fox 35 Orlando that she was "stunned" to see the Australian marsupial hopping around.
"I mean, we live out in the woods; you see bears, you see deer – you don't see a kangaroo. It's supposed to be at the zoo," the woman told Fox 35.
"I mean, it's kind of cool that there's somebody out here that has an exotic animal, you know?" she added.
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In Florida, it is legal to keep a kangaroo as a private pet with the proper permit, says the website for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Volusia County Sheriff's Office for any updates about the kangaroo's welfare.
Anyone who spots the kangaroo should call the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) or by texting 847411 (Tip411) with the keyword "FWC" and details about the location.
This is not the first time in recent months that a rogue pet kangaroo has made headlines.
In May, police officers in the town of Lufkin, Texas responded to a bewildered call about a pair of kangaroos that were on the loose.
In the call, which was shared on Facebook, the man can be heard saying, "Ma'am, I don't know who I need to call," noting that he could not find a number for animal control that was currently open.
"I'm right here on Fuller Springs Drive … and there's a kangaroo come up the road and crossed right here," he said.
The dispatcher, confused, asks the man if the kangaroo "looked like it might belong there."
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The man added that his wife initially thought the kangaroo was a dog, and laughter can be heard on the call.
The Texas kangaroos were eventually captured and safely returned to their enclosure.
And in July, a German kangaroo that was on the run for six months was safely captured.