Virginia Deputies Rescue Loose Kangaroo and Her Joey After Reports of a Marsupial Blocking Traffic

Authorities helped reunite the rescued animals after a roadside scare

NEED TO KNOW

  • Virginia deputies rescued a loose kangaroo blocking traffic along Route 29
  • Officers reunited an injured mother with her baby during the rescue
  • The animals were safely returned to a wildlife refuge, officials said

A routine call turned into an unforgettable rescue mission for law enforcement officers in central Virginia after reports of a kangaroo hopping loose along a busy highway.

According to ABC 13, deputies with the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office and a Virginia Conservation Police officer responded the morning of Saturday, Jan. 31, to calls about a kangaroo obstructing traffic near the intersection of Thomas Nelson Highway and Oak Ridge Road along Route 29.

“Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I would be wrangling a kangaroo,” Conservation police officer Andrew Sundra told ABC 13.

What initially sounded like a bizarre sighting quickly became a serious situation. Sheriff Mark Embrey noted that the freezing temperatures following a winter storm that hit the East Coast raised immediate concerns about the animals’ safety. “The temperatures were frigid. You know what the elements are from the winter storm,” Embrey said…

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