July 9 (UPI) — An animal control officer in Colorado ended up in an unusual slow-speed chase when he was summoned to capture a loose wallaby.
The Montrose County Sheriff’s Office said Animal Control Sgt. Chuck Searcy responded Thursday evening to a call from a member of the public who spotted the wallaby — initially misidentified as a kangaroo — hopping loose on a road.
Searcy, who was joined at the scene by the caller and a Colorado State Patrol trooper, said he ended up in a slow-speed chase with the Australian marsupial for about 45 minutes.
The wallaby’s owner arrived on the scene and joined in the chase, but the animal ended up turning around and heading home on its own, the sheriff’s office said.
“It ran down right when it got to the driveway, took a left turn, and headed home,” Searcy told the Montrose Daily Press.
The wallaby was released back into the custody of its owner.
“It sounds like it sticks around the house quite a bit. It’s a well-taken care of and loved animal,” Searcy said.