A kangaroo was caught hopping around an apartment complex in Tampa, Fla., Thursday morning news from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).
Early that morning, a confused resident called authorities about an animal jumping around the complex’s pool. After the 7-year-old kangaroo — aptly named Hopper — was removed from the premises, authorities released the audio of the 911 call.
“911, do you need police, fire or medical assistance?” the 911 dispatcher asked.
The confused caller offered an uncertain answer and asked for the police. “There’s a kangaroo in my apartment complex,” the caller explained.
In the police audio, the same dispatcher explains to other emergency responders that Hopper is “kind of a big kangaroo.” The dispatcher explained that the responders “got [Hopper] enclosed in a fenced pool area.”
HCSO divided into an X (formerly Twitter) after the Agricultural Unit assisted in the rescue mission and reunited the owners with Hopper. HCSO K-9 and air units attempted to contain Hopper in the enclosed pool area before later taking him to a trailer, reports Tampa Bay Times.
After Hopper was in HCSO’s possession, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found the owners, according to times.
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Hopper the Kangaroo on Thursday, February 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office via AP
“The kangaroo was being fed and cared for by our deputies,” an HCSO spokesperson told Tampa Bay Times on Thursday afternoon. “The owners are driving to our property right now … to pick up their kangaroo.”
A sheriff’s office spokesman has yet to release the names of the owners, it said Tampa Bay Times. However, after the animal was reunited with its owners, it was confirmed that they had the correct paperwork and permits to own up to two kangaroos.
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Hopper the Kangaroo on Thursday, February 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office via AP
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In Florida, the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission requires all civilians who want to own a kangaroo as a personal pet to obtain a permit — which allows owners to place the kangaroo at a specific address, take it to a veterinarian and travel with it.
While Hopper was returned from the shared office, it was not announced how the kangaroo originally got out of the house.
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Source: HIS Education