Kangaroo found after hopping out of van in Monroe

MONROE, Wash. — It’s not April Fool’s Day.

Monroe police said a kangaroo was missing Tuesday morning after hopping out of a van in the 300 block of West Main Street.

Around 6 a.m., police were called to a home by a couple who said they had a young kangaroo that had escaped.

They were spending the night at the home and the kangaroo was in their van. It had been picked up at the Arlington Kangaroo Sanctuary the night before.

The animal is 2 feet tall and about 8 weeks old.

The kangaroo was located by police around 12:30 p.m. Animal workers coaxed the animal out of the shed and loaded it into a van.

As animal control took the Kangaroo away, his owner was in tears.

“I’ve had the whole town of Monroe looking for him!” she exclaimed.  “My ‘roo’ was on the loose and I called 911!”

The animal’s discovery also proved shocking to the homeowner who discovered it.

"I was like, ‘what in the world?!’ said Annalisa Kariniemi, who found the animal after arriving home from errands.  “It looked scared, just lost, and just sitting there in his little safe place.”

Incredibly, this is not the first time KIRO 7 has covered a story like this.

In 2015, an Wallaby made national news after it escaped into the woods near Arlington.

Sadly, she was never found.

This time, though, crews successfully captured and carried away the Kangaroo in Monroe.

Police said the animal was spooked and dehydrated, but should otherwise be okay.

Cox Media Group