NECEDAH, Wis.— How does a kangaroo escape from a petting zoo?
It’s not the opening line of a dad joke. If you are Chesney the kangaroo, you climb an 8-foot fence and walk on a lam for three days, give your caretaker a night and send the residents of a small town in Wisconsin to find what would end happily on Saturday.
The unprecedented outbreak at Sunshine Farm in Necedah, Wisconsin, last week was sparked by stray dogs that rushed the enclosure and mauled 16-month-old Chesney, said his caretaker, Debbie Marland. He and friends traveled back and forth to this town 160 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
They chased sighting reports and even hired heat-seeking planes, which proved effective in reducing the wandering of the high-flying tourist.
“I walked about 37,000 steps a day looking for him,” Marland said. “I haven’t done this much exercise in a very long time.”
Chesney and his roommate Kenny are named after country music star Kenny Chesney. They are among Sunshine Farm’s 25 animals, which include horses, sheep, alpacas, Kunekune pigs, Highland cattle and a Bactrian camel. The farm is usually open Friday through Sunday from mid-May to mid-November, and tours are offered to visitors who are able to interact with the animals.
Chesney escaped at about 11:15 a.m. last Wednesday. Although he lived three kilometers from the farm, he made his pursuers think.
Colton Johnson, owner of Midwest Aerial Drone Services, has used heat-sensing drones to help hunters recover deer and reunite lost dogs with their owners. Add a kangaroo to the list.
Johnson spent three days following Chesney near Marland with a group of volunteers. His strategy was similar to the one he uses to find lost pets, but Johnson said the appearance of Chesney’s heat in the drone footage was unique.
“It was almost like a dinosaur running through the forest,” Johnson said. “It has a long tail, and the way it walked and jumped, that’s the only way I can describe it.”
The team caught Chesney on Wednesday and again Thursday night, but Johnson said the frightened kangaroo slipped — once by plunging into a cold river — and Johnson lost track of the drone.
According to Marland’s friend, Stacy Brereton, who usually helps out on the farm, Friday was a tough day. No one had seen Chesney all day, and investigators feared he had wandered far into the unknown, Brereton said.
Then, on Friday night, Chesney was found sitting under a tree in a wooded area. A search party surrounded him, but the ever-present foot traffic – 20 mph is no place for him – Chesney eluded them.
Marland returned to the area Saturday morning with Chesney’s favorite foods and pieces of furniture that bear his and Kenny’s scent. Later, other researchers joined him. But since there didn’t seem to be a kangaroo, they started packing. At that moment, they saw a long-eared kangaroo with long hind legs approaching.
Brereton got up easily.
“He had a very calm demeanor when he came up, obviously he could tell he wasn’t in a fight or flight situation, so I went with that,” Breton said. “I stayed calm with him, and I sat down and let him come to me.”
Chesney heard the voices and sought attention, said Brereton, who eventually picked up the 40-pound animal.
“I believe that he heard our comforting voices, smelled the familiar smells of home, and that made him feel safe,” says Brereton, adding, “I’m just happy that he loves me as much as I love him.
Marland said “the community has really rallied” for the kangaroo, who is now a celebrity. A fan of Sunshine Farm has written a children’s book about Chesney’s adventures, which Marland hopes to publish and sell to recoup some of the search costs.
Kenny, who with his marsupial companion runs Marland’s house, was delighted to be reunited with Chesney. Although he was hungry and tired, Chesney was fine but will be checked by a vet soon.
To be safe, Marland added, a new floor will be placed over the kangaroo area to prevent further jumping hijinks.
Contributor: Savannah Peters
This Article’s Highlights were created with the help of major language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The text, itself, is written by a human being.
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