kangaroo oshawa

Ontario police release video of Oshawa kangaroo capture that everyone's been asking for

The now-famous kangaroo that was seen hopping free around Oshawa last week is the star of new bodycam footage that local police have released by popular demand.

Shocked bystanders first witnessed the rogue critter bounding along roadsides in the Ontario city on Friday, very clearly out of its element in near-freezing winter temperatures.

Multiple grainy clips began circulating on social media as more and more people spotted the animal, which ended up roaming for three days on its own before it was finally apprehended by the authorities yesterday.

And, Durham Regional Police have just released a much better quality, close-up video of the dramatic capture due to a "high level of public interest," adding that the roo has "hopped into the hearts of many — all hoping for her safe return" in these last few days.

The takedown, which took three entire hours from when the force first found the marsupial early Monday morning, culminated at Winchester Road around 6 a.m., and, as many now know, included an officer getting punched in the face by the frightened animal.

In the two-minute-long recording, police can be seen petting the kangaroo's back gently before slipping a self-tightening lead over its head. Officers continue to calmly stroke it until it suddenly bucks, trying to bolt once more.

"You're okay," the cops say as they struggle to control the Aussie native, adding that her feet are "the dangerous part" that they need to avoid.

The roo continues to panic as officers hold her sturdily by the tail, and when they finally seure her from another near-escape, she squirms right up until (and even after) she is safely placed in a cruiser.

After the door is finally closed, officers can be heard breathing sighs of relief and laughing over the very difficult job well done.

The female kangaroo made its getaway while it and two others were on their way to their new home in Quebec. The trio and their handlers stopped off at the Oshawa Zoo for an overnight stay before the last leg of their trip — which is when this particularly feisty member of the troop escaped her chaperones while being transported out of a truck.

Both the kangaroo and the officer she punched are reportedly doing well and have no signs of injury.

Lead photo by

@DRPS


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