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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.
Deputies rescue kangaroo and joey on the loose.
Nelson County Sheriff’s Office
“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.
Lieutenant Steve Bodek reported to the outlet that officers quickly shifted from disbelief to action. “Then we immediately switched to, ‘How are we going to catch this thing?” he recalled. Deputy Robert Richardson described the kangaroo as fast and unpredictable, making the rescue more challenging. “I don’t even know if a lasso would have worked on it,” Richardson added. “You get out of the car, and she’s already across the field.”
Officials said the mother kangaroo was injured and was leaving a visible blood trail. Officers eventually guided the animal into a corner on private property, where it surprisingly stayed put. “It could have easily jumped over a four-foot fence, but it did not,” Bodek noted. “It just kind of looked at me.”
Deputies rescue kangaroo and joey on the loose.
Nelson County Sheriff’s Office
Authorities believe dogs may have entered the animal’s enclosure, prompting the kangaroo to flee. In the process, the mother dropped her baby and ran — likely to draw the dogs away, officers said. The baby kangaroo was later found safe.
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“Only in Nelson County,” Bodek joked. Sundra said the animal’s owner arrived at the scene, safely tranquilized the mother kangaroo, and then transported both animals back home.
Deputies said both animals belong to a wildlife refuge in Arrington and are doing well.
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