Officers respond after kangaroo gets loose in Iowa town

NORWALK, IA (KTRK) -- "They see a live kangaroo or wallaby in the area hopping around."

Just after 10:30 Tuesday night, a kangaroo was spotted hopping around businesses in Norwalk, Iowa, near Main Street and North Avenue.

"I wasn't sure if it was really a kangaroo or if it was a prank call," an officer said. "Yeah, it's a kangaroo."

The kangaroo escaped from his home in the city limits where he was kept as a pet.

It's legal to have a pet kangaroo, according to Iowa code. You can't keep dangerous wild animals as pets. That includes coyotes, lions, pandas and rhinoceros, but not kangaroos. They are not listed.

"It sounds like the owner has everything in order to have a pet kangaroo. They're not listed."

After about 30 minutes, they finally cornered him in this alley next to Century Link and trapped him in this cage they found nearby.

"He ended up jumping at me, and I caught it inside the dog kennel," the officer says.

The DNR kept the kangaroo until it's owner could be reached.

Even after his adventure with this little guy, the officer says he's not ready for life in the outback.