Kangaroo captured after escaping Saline County petting zoo

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Saline County authorities captured a kangaroo on Sunday after it escaped a petting zoo the day before at the Saline County Fairgrounds, according to a Monday press release from the Marshall Police Department.

The release says on Saturday, a child walked out of the kangaroo enclosure and the gate was accidentally left “unsecured” and the animal escaped.

A resident saw the kangaroo on Sunday and contacted police. MPD, an animal control officer and “another citizen with prior experience raising and handling exotic animals” safely captured the kangaroo, the release says.

The kangaroo was brought back to its owner in Warrensburg, the release says.

“The Marshall Police Department would like to thank the citizen who located the kangaroo and remained in the area until authorities arrived, as well as the citizen with experience handling exotic animals who assisted officers and Animal Control personnel at the scene,” the release says. “Their assistance and cooperation helped bring this unusual situation to a safe conclusion.”