Image: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
Kangaroos are typically found roaming Australia, where their biggest problems are the occasional boxing match, cars and angry farmers.
No wonder then that people were stunned to see the unusual marsupial on a leash, running a man down the street in the suburbs of Detroit.
Footage of the bizarre sight was shared on Twitter Tuesday.
Authorities don’t seem so impressed by the idea of a kangaroo hopping down an American street.
“It is not legal to own a kangaroo in the city of Detroit,” Kelly McLaughlin, assistant director at the Detroit Animal Control Center, told MLive.
The kangaroo reportedly belongs to Javon Stacks, who runs a travelling animal show called Exotic Zoo, which appears at schools and other events.
“It was for a birthday party a couple weeks ago,” Stacks told the news outlet. “There’s not enough room in someone’s home to bring a kangaroo, so we stepped outside.”
Stacks claimed he had the same licenses as other zoos to work with animals. His website lists the animals he has on show, such as a chinchilla and kinkajou, as well as a crocodile and an iguana.
“Inner city kids’ parents don’t have enough money to go to the zoo or transportation to go to the zoo,” he explained to MLive. “When schools invite us…we perform in the gymnasium. We take 50-60 students every hour and rotate them.”
One thing is for sure: This roo is a long, long way from home.
