BEDFORD TWP. (WWJ) -- The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is looking for the owner of an exotic animal that's been spotted hopping around unsupervised.
In a news released on Thursday, Sheriff Troy Goodnough reported that an "exotic wallaby" has been running free the Southeast Michigan community, just north of the Ohio border.
Chief Deputy Chad Zeunen told WWJ's Sandra McNeill that they first learned about the unsecured marsupial about two weeks ago, on social media.
"We're actively looking for it, we spotted it, we're unable to capture it...and that was the last time was saw it," Zaunen said, "about seven days ago."
Under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for overseeing exotic animal breeders and enforcement of exotic animal facilities, the sheriff's office noted.
The issue with the wallaby has been reported to the USDA, which was consulted in order to determine any risk to public health that may result from this animal roaming freely. "We are happy to announce the USDA has informed us that the wallaby is not a threat to public safety as it will not approach humans, dogs, or other domestic animals," the sheriff's office said.
Zaunen said, meanwhile, they're trying to figure out where the animal came from. "There's two exotic zoos in the area. We reached out to both of them, and both facilities have told us that, you know, all of their wallabies are accounted for," he told McNeill. "So, we're not sure...We just don't know if someone owned it."
Anyone with information on the wallaby’s owner is asked to report the information directly to the USDA at www.usda.gov. Anyone who spots the animal is urged not to approach it, and to call the Monroe County Central Dispatch at 734-243-7070.
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