Finding ROOfus
ROOfus has been raised by the McClards since he was 3 months old. He’s now 4. He’d never tried to escape from the family’s home or his outdoor enclosure until he was spooked by a loud excavator on Friday, July 24.
“He’s never tried to run away before, but we do know that he doesn’t like (loud) noises like dump trucks or… even the mower,” Dawn said in an interview after the escape.
The McClards immediately put out a call on social media for Bloomfield area residents to watch for their beloved pet.
“We’ve had a couple of sightings. One this morning (Tuesday) from a FedEx driver…near Aquilla, but we went out there. We couldn’t find him anywhere,” Dawn said at the time. “And then yesterday we had another sighting here, very close to our home.”
After four sightings near Aquilla, the next reports came from the Nestlē Mine Area along Highway AB. Eyes on the ground were backed up by a helicopter and drones, the latter courtesy of Black River Drone Works.
During the search, ROOfus’ family speculated he could be hiding in a forested area, which are scattered around Bloomfield. Kangaroos can go a long time without water, the McClards explained, so he theoretically would not need to stay near creeks or ponds.