Escaped Kangaroo in St. Cloud Recaptured

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ST CLOUD, FL – A kangaroo spotted hopping in the middle of a St. Cloud road earlier this week was later captured and taken to a nearby wildlife preserve. The male kangaroo, now named Hickory as he was found along Old Hickory Tree Road, remained a mystery for two days, until officials found his owner.

Late Wednesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said a 27-year-old man was charged with two second-degree misdemeanors related to the animal’s escape and the owner’s failure to have proper state permits. The owner also was given a warning for having an enclosure that did not meet the approved caging requirement.

The kangaroo will remain at the wildlife preserve until the owner improves his enclosure to meet state codes. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for next week, and the animal could be returned then, FWC said. FWC said that the animal was trapped later that day after being “chemically immobilized,” the station reported. The agency also told the station Monday it was investigating where the kangaroo came from and noted that it had received multiple reports about the out-of-place animal.

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