A kangaroo that escaped its enclosure caused a two-vehicle collision and temporarily shut down a stretch of Interstate 85 in central Alabama Tuesday.
The marsupial was spotted hopping along the highway near the 46 mile marker in Macon County, which lies between Tuskegee and Auburn. Commuters reported seeing the animal shortly before noon.
The kangaroo caused two vehicles to crash as it made its way from Lee County into Macon County, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. No injuries were reported in the collision.
The interstate was shut down in both directions while law enforcement officers and the animal's owner attempted to capture it. The animal temporarily left the roadway and entered a nearby wood line.
Authorities, including Alabama Highway Patrol Division troopers, Macon County Sheriff's Office deputies, and a conservation enforcement officer, converged on the area. The animal's owner used a dart to tranquilize it before capture.
Macon County Sheriff Andre Brunson live-streamed part of the effort and commented on the unusual sight.
The animal has now been recovered, and the roadway is back open, officials said.
The kangaroo, named Sheila, belongs to Patrick Starr, who confirmed she escaped her enclosure. Sheila is a personal pet and not part of the family's pumpkin patch or petting zoo business.
Starr said Sheila is back home, healthy, eating, and drinking. She was treated by the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine after her adventure.
“When somebody said there was a kangaroo of course I didn’t believe it, and nobody believed it," Sheriff Brunson said. "But I’m looking at him. ... A kangaroo, fellas, in Tuskegee, Alabama. Macon County. We see a little bit of everything here.”