Mysterious origin of kangaroo roaming Florida revealed, state says. Man charged

The origin of a mysterious kangaroo found roaming St. Cloud, Florida, has been discovered, and someone is now facing charges, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says.

Turns out the man didn’t have a valid permit to own the animal, the state says.

Drivers reported a kangaroo hopping in traffic on Monday, May 5, and the FWC confirmed they were not hallucinating.

The wayward marsupial was captured after being “found calmly hiding in a thicket and was safely chemically immobilized,” FWC officials said in a May 7 news release.

Finding its origin proved tougher, however, when its owner didn’t come forward, officials said.

Wildlife permits are required to own a kangaroo in Florida, and it turned out no permit holders in Osceola County (only two people) were missing a kangaroo, FWC said. That meant whoever owned it didn’t have a valid permit, the state says.

FWC investigators figured out who the owner is based on permit applications.

“The kangaroo’s owner ... had applied online for an ESC permit (which allows possession of Class III wildlife for commercial use), but the permit was not active until May 6, 2025. He had not officially claimed the permit when the escape occurred,” FWC says.

“(He) has been charged with two second-degree misdemeanors related to the animal’s escape and the lack of required acquisition documentation. He also received a warning for failing to have a valid permit on the day of the incident and for having an enclosure that did not meet the approved caging requirement.”

The kangaroo is at a “secure facility” and will stay there until the 27-year-old man’s “enclosure is brought up to code.”

“A follow-up inspection is scheduled for next week, after which the animal may be returned,” FWC officials said.

Kangaroos are native to Australia and some among the 12 known species can reach nearly 6 feet and 200 pounds, according to Live Science.

“The larger kangaroos can cover over 23 feet (7 meters) per hop when cruising at top speed and have been clocked at more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour in short bursts!” the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance reports.

St. Cloud is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Orlando.

This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 7:20 AM with the headline "Mysterious origin of kangaroo roaming Florida revealed, state says. Man charged."