Photo for Headline Surfer / This kangaroo was spotted hopping down the middle of Hickory Tree Road on Monday, May 6, 2025, in St. Cloud, Florida, before a Captive Wildlife Investigator captured it.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ST. CLOUD, Fla. -- The Florida Wildlife Commission is investigating the origin of a captured kangaroo and who owns it.
In Florida, kangaroos are classified as Class III wildlife; a permit is required to keep them legally.
Some St. Cloud residents in Osceola County expressed concern for the animal’s safety, given the heavy traffic along Hickory Tree Road where it was spotted hopping. "It’s so sad… because it’s probably, you know, lost," nearby resident Lenny Stack said to WOFL Fox 35 Orlando.
FWC said it received multiple reports of the animal and dispatched a Captive Wildlife Investigator to the area on Monday. With assistance from another licensed kangaroo facility owner, the kangaroo was found about an hour later, calmly hiding in a wooded area. Officials chemically immobilized the animal and transported it to a local facility equipped to house kangaroos, the FWC said. A veterinarian for the FWC later confirmed the animal was in good health.
FWC said it received multiple reports of the animal and dispatched a Captive Wildlife Investigator to the area on Monday. With assistance from another licensed kangaroo facility owner, the kangaroo was found about an hour later, calmly hiding in a wooded area. Officials chemically immobilized the animal and transported it to a local facility equipped to house kangaroos, the FWC said. A veterinarian for the FWC later confirmed the animal was in good health.
Anyone with information about the kangaroo's owner or wishing to report escaped wildlife is urged to contact the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.
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