A rogue kangaroo frolicked through a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood Thursday morning, before being arrested by local police, put in the back of a cop car, and put in “jail” in the department’s horse stables before being turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Local news and the Fort Lauderdale police posted a series of updates, showing the troublemaking marsupial getting loaded in the back of a FLPD car and then forlornly hopping around his cell in the stables and looking out through the bars.
FWC now has the kangaroo safely in their custody and will care for him while authorities investigate. Exotic animals like kangaroos are not permitted within Fort Lauderdale city limits.
Local 10 News in Fort Lauderdale confirmed that the kangaroo was the pet of an area resident, although it was not clear what legal consequences he might face for keeping an illegal pet. FLPD officers who apprehended the kangaroo described him as “very friendly.”
Unsurprisingly, Twitter loved this story and many users staunchly advocated for the kangaroo’s freedom.