Kangaroo on the loose in Texas after escaping enclosure
A kangaroo named Rowdy escaped his enclosure in Texas, sparking a search for the missing marsupial around the city of Sealy, Texas.
The kangaroo — which stands at just over 5 feet tall (1.5m) and weighs 70 pounds (32kg) — was last seen around 4:15 am near a truck stop on Interstate-10, according to his owner, Marsha Matus.
“When I came outside and saw his empty enclosure, it was devastating. We just want him back,” Matus told NBC 2 Houston.
Sealy is a short drive west of Houston.
She said that the kangaroo is "not aggressive and won't hurt anyone," but noted that he was probably scared and would not like approach any humans.
Rowdy has been with Matus since he was a joey. She said her family had bottle fed him since he was young and that he has been a constant part of their family ever since.
Matus said Rowdy is typically very "routine-driven" and that escaping his enclosure was very out of character for him.
The weather was foggy and wet when Rowdy managed to push open his gate and leap over the backyard fence at Matus' home.
Folks around Sealy have been on the lookout for Rowdy since news of his escape went public. Matus said that he will mostly likely be active at night or the early morning, as kangaroos are nocturnal.
According to Sunny 99.1, a man from Bellville is lending his heat-sensor equipped drone to help search for Rowdy in the evening when he's most likely to be active.
She hopes someone spots him soon and contacts her, because she fears he might wander too far from familiar areas. Matus is confident if she can get near Rowdy she can call him back to her.
“Rowdy knows my voice and will come to me,” she said. “We just need someone to see him and let us know where he is.”
Matus has asked that anyone who sees the kangaroo contact her, the Austin County Sheriff's Office, or the Texas Department of Public Safety.
