Discovery of kangaroo in Florida gets even weirder when no owner comes forward

A kangaroo was found bouncing on the streets of St. Cloud, Florida, but far stranger is the fact an owner still hasn’t been identified, state officials say.

Motorists reported seeing it Monday, May 5, hopping through traffic on Hickory Tree Road, WOFL reports.

“Ok y’all. I’m not on drugs or anything. My hubby just called me and said a kangaroo just jumped down Story Rd headed down Hickory Tree,” Deedee Ball wrote on Facebook. “WTH is a kangaroo in our neck of the woods. Watch your kids and animals.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the reports, confirmed it was true and worked with a “licensed kangaroo facility owner” to catch the wayward marsupial within an hour.

“The kangaroo was found calmly hiding in a thicket and was safely chemically immobilized,” FWC officials said in a news release. “The animal was transported to a local facility equipped to house kangaroos, where a veterinarian confirmed it to be in good health.”

An FWC investigation is underway “to determine the kangaroo’s owner.”

Special wildlife permits are required to own a kangaroo in Florida, the FWC says.

“We keep a database of licensed permit holders, and ... there are some in the area,” FWC reported.

Kangaroos are native to Australia and some among the 12 known species can reach nearly 6 feet and 200 pounds, according to Live Science.

“The larger kangaroos can cover over 23 feet (7 meters) per hop when cruising at top speed and have been clocked at more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour in short bursts!” the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance reports.

St. Cloud about a 30-mile drive southeast from Orlando.

This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 7:32 AM with the headline "Discovery of kangaroo in Florida gets even weirder when no owner comes forward."