Durham Regional Police say a female kangaroo that had been on the loose for three days was finally captured by officers and handlers on Monday — although one officer was struck in the face by the marsupial.
Staff Sgt. Chris Boileau said two officers on patrol spotted the missing kangaroo at around 3 a.m. on Monday and then communicated her whereabouts to its handlers.
“These officers were briefed on the safe capture techniques for kangaroos,” police said, adding, “Fun fact: The safest way to capture a kangaroo is to grab it by its tail.”
Boileau said officers were able to keep eyes on the kangaroo until the handlers arrived and “successfully apprehended” her between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. near Winchester Road East and Harmony Road North in Oshawa.
During the capture, Boileau said one officer was able to sneak up behind the kangaroo and grab her by the tail.
“One our officers was punched in the face by it but he’ll be OK,” Boileau said.
Boileau said the kangaroo was then transported to the Oshawa Zoo in one of their K9 kennels. The kangaroo was then checked out by zoo staff and appeared uninjured, police said earlier.
A video appears to show a kangaroo in Oshawa, Ont.
According to a local pet group, Team Chelsea, the kangaroo was first spotted on the loose near the same area it was found in Oshawa just before 8 a.m. on Friday.
Several videos posted online show what appears to be a kangaroo standing at the end of a driveway, and another showing it hopping along the grass line beside the road.
Durham police said over the weekend while they were not involved in the hunt for the animal Friday, they knew where it came from. A driver delivering two kangaroos to Quebec on Thursday had stopped at the Oshawa Zoo to let them “stretch their legs.”
This is when the kangaroo allegedly made its escape.
Police said in their update on Monday that her “adventure” has come to an end and “she will continue on with her journey to Quebec in the near future.”
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