Authorities capture kangaroo running through Temple Terrace backyards

'There’s, uh, a kangaroo in my apartment complex.'

A large kangaroo was popping up on doorbell cameras in Temple Terrace over the last couple days, and this morning local authorities were finally able to wrangle the loose marsupial.

In a Thursday video posted to social media, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says it responded to an apartment complex near Fowler Avenue and 56th Street, after someone called stating that there's a kangaroo in the pool area.

"Fire or medical?” the dispatcher asked in the video. “I guess police. There’s, uh, a kangaroo in my apartment complex,” said the caller.

HSCO says the kangaroo was reunited with its owner after they showed proper registrations for ownership of the animal.

Over the last couple days, residents in the area shared images and doorbell camera footage of the lost kangaroo, with some claiming it roamed as far north as Fletcher Avenue.

This actually isn't the first time a loose kangaroo was spotted in this area of Hillsborough County. A few years ago, a pet kangaroo named "Jack"  broke free and ran amuck in the same Temple Terrace neighborhood.

It's unclear if this is the same 'roo.

Surprisingly, owning a pet kangaroo is not exactly illegal in Florida, as long as their owners have the proper permits. In 2020, a Fort Lauderdale man faced two second-degree misdemeanor charges and a $500 fine after his pet kangaroo escaped and caused a police pursuit.

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Colin Wolf

Colin Wolf has been working with weekly newspapers since 2007 and has been the Digital Editor for Creative Loafing Tampa since 2019. He is also the Director of Digital Content Strategy for CL's parent company, Chava Communications.
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