Baby kangaroo escapes from home, safe return after search effort
By Jadius McGhee
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NECEDAH, Wisconsin (WKBT) — A kangaroo that escaped from his home at Sunshine Farm in Necedah has been safely returned after a multi-day search effort that involved volunteers, drone technology and trail cameras.
Chesney the kangaroo escaped from his enclosure Wednesday morning when dogs approached and began barking, startling the animal into fleeing the property. The escape prompted an extensive search effort across Juneau County as volunteers worked to locate and safely capture the wayward marsupial.
As days passed without confirmed sightings, those involved in the search began to worry about Chesney’s whereabouts and safety.
“He wasn’t across any trail cams, we were worried he could have gotten too far out of the area,” said Stacy Brereton, a friend of the owner. “That was the scariest, when it was the longer time period before he was sighted.”
The search effort included multiple sightings, including one overnight encounter where Chesney managed to escape capture. To expand their search capabilities, volunteers incorporated modern technology into their efforts.
Colton Johnson, owner of Midwest Aerial Drone Services, assisted with the search using thermal imaging equipment. “The main thing we like to do is get a general area of where they spotted him and then we can cover so much more ground with a thermal drone,” Johnson said.
The technology allowed searchers to scan large sections of land from above, helping to narrow down potential areas where Chesney might be hiding.
The search ultimately concluded successfully when Chesney approached the search team on his own. Volunteers were able to safely capture the kangaroo and return him to Sunshine Farm.
“I’m just so incredibly happy to have Chesney back,” said Debbie Marland, Sunshine Farm’s owner. “It was a crazy time and I’m so thankful.”
Marland reported that Chesney appears to have no visible injuries from his adventure, though the kangaroo will be examined by a veterinarian to ensure he is in good health following his time in the wild.
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