Kangaroo Escapes Zoo, Jumps Over Staff's Head... "Still Not Caught"

Fleeing on Road During Transfer from Toronto to Quebec
Police Urge Citizens "Do Not Approach If Spotted"

A kangaroo escaped from a zoo in Toronto, Canada's largest city, causing a commotion throughout the city.

According to local media including CBC on the 1st (local time), a kangaroo at the Oshawa Zoo in eastern Toronto escaped onto the streets and went missing after breaking free from an employee's custody during a transfer operation.

A kangaroo escaping from the zoo and running into the street.
[Photo by CBC website·Yonhap News]

The kangaroo had stayed overnight at the Toronto Zoo while en route to its original owner, a zoo in Quebec. At dawn, zoo staff began transferring the kangaroo from its enclosure to a truck, during which the kangaroo jumped over an employee's head and fled the zoo.

The kangaroo's whereabouts have been unknown as of the evening of the second day after its escape. Canadian police urged, "If you spot the kangaroo, do not approach it and report immediately." Local media reported that by late afternoon, about 30 sighting reports had been received.

The zoo staff member who lost the kangaroo said in a media interview, "We usually get along well with the animals," adding, "I've worked with animals for decades, but this is the first time something like this has happened."

The zoo reported the kangaroo's disappearance to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the provincial authority, and requested that officials come out to capture the kangaroo. A representative said, "The kangaroo must be struggling in the near-freezing cold weather," and added, "We hope the search team will find it safely by tonight."

Kangaroo (Reference Photo) [Image Source=Pixabay]

Meanwhile, although kangaroos are popular animals in zoos due to their familiar appearance, they have aggressive temperaments and should be approached with caution if encountered in the wild. When threatened, they can attack people fiercely with sharp claws and powerful hind legs. In September 2022, a man in his 70s in Australia died after being attacked by a kangaroo. Police at the time suspected the man had tried to keep a wild kangaroo as a pet, which led to the incident.

An Australian animal rescue organization emphasized regarding this incident, "Kangaroos are not cute pets but wild animals." They explained that especially aggressive male kangaroos often attack people in the same way they fight other kangaroos: grabbing the opponent with their forelegs while supporting their body with muscular tails and delivering powerful kicks with their hind legs.