‘Unfriendly’ kangaroo on the loose in North Mississippi county

Published 10:25 am Friday, November 15, 2019

Officials are on the lookout for a kangaroo in Lee County after the animal escaped its enclosure in a Guntown petting zoo Tuesday.

The 4-year-old female kangaroo reportedly hopped a fence and was last seen in the area around 5:30 p.m.

Petting zoo owner co-owner John Mark Johnson said he is not sure where the kangaroo is, but said the animal could have traveled as far away as Tupelo, which is 17 miles away.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Johnson told new sources that he is USDA approved to handle kangaroos and that the kangaroo that is on the loose is not part of the petting zoo because “she’s not real friendly.”

Anyone who sees the kangaroo to refrain from trying to catch it, Johnson said.

Johnson said the kangaroo is between four and four and a half feet tall and weighs 50 to 60 pounds. Her fur color is a grey-blue-red mixture.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Highway Patrol and Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries have all been alerted.